Queen was and remains one of the most iconic rock and roll groups of all time. So much of their music has influenced popular culture. Their music has been popular fixtures on the radio and on films. Queen is a legendary group which explains why it took so look for a film adaptation to become reality, no one wanted to mess it up. That being said, “Bohemian Rhapsody” was finally released this week to mixed reactions. It seemed liked critics hated it or loved it. Well, I don’t know what movie the critics who hated it saw because I loved this film.
As stated above, “Bohemian Rhapsody” tells the story of the formation of Queen but it’s primary focus is on lead vocalist Freddy Mercury. The story of Freddy Mercury is both uplifting and tragic. The story has been criticized for taking historical liberties with dates and events. I can understand wanting the most historically accutate movie possible, but films also have to be entertaining so creative license must be allowed, even for a subject as well known as the band Queen. I do understand why some critics would be upset but almost every historic epics take liberties with facts, a great deal of them take far more drastic liberties than this movie did.
I suspect a great deal of the critism the film is facing is due to Bryan Singer and the controversy he is currently facing. Bryan Singer has long been accused of sexual harassment involving minions among others. This does not make the accusations true, but many Hollywood insiders maintain that these accounts are valid. Bryan Singer is a very gifted director regardless of the accusations he faces. If what he did is true, he is a terrible person but that doesn’t change his films from being well made. Now, Bryan Singer was fired from the movie after completing 75% of the film for being difficult to work with. Dexter Fletcher (who is set to helm “Rocket Man”) took over the remaining directing duties and polished the rest of the film.
The cast was one of the best aspects of the film. Rami Malek was sensational as Freddy Mercury. He took the role after Sacha Baron Cohen decided to pass on the film. Malek channels the confidence and inner turmoil Mercury faced throughout his life. The supporting cast were great and made you feel like you were really watching the band Queen. Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, and Joseph Mazzello portray Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. The chemistry with the cast felt as real as the chemistry of the group. Mike Myers plays a record executive named Ray Foster. I thought he might be distracting but I liked his small part in the film. The film gave a humorous nod to his “Wayne’s World” role as well.
The love story focused on his relationship with Mary Austin, depicting her as perhaps the true love of his life despite his homosexuality. This is a very tragic relationship in the movie. The film doesn’t shy away from his homosexuality despite what some critics are saying. The film tried to represent love as something deeper and independent of sexuality. It was really well done and emotional in my opinion and seemed to really want the audience to think about what love truly represents.
The film was funny and charming. Seeing the poor reviews showcased for the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” was humorous considering it’s a classic. The conversations about the song “I’m In Love With My Car” provided a humorous on going joke in the movie. There were aspects about Freddy Mercury and Queen I wasn’t aware of and found interesting. I also liked how they focused on each band members contributions to the music and showing how collaborative they all were together. The concert footage was also beyond fantastic. The cinematography for those scenes made you feel like you were there. There were literally people in the theater waving their arms in the air as the music played.
As stated above, “Bohemian Rhapsody” tells the story of the formation of Queen but it’s primary focus is on lead vocalist Freddy Mercury. The story of Freddy Mercury is both uplifting and tragic. The story has been criticized for taking historical liberties with dates and events. I can understand wanting the most historically accutate movie possible, but films also have to be entertaining so creative license must be allowed, even for a subject as well known as the band Queen. I do understand why some critics would be upset but almost every historic epics take liberties with facts, a great deal of them take far more drastic liberties than this movie did.
I suspect a great deal of the critism the film is facing is due to Bryan Singer and the controversy he is currently facing. Bryan Singer has long been accused of sexual harassment involving minions among others. This does not make the accusations true, but many Hollywood insiders maintain that these accounts are valid. Bryan Singer is a very gifted director regardless of the accusations he faces. If what he did is true, he is a terrible person but that doesn’t change his films from being well made. Now, Bryan Singer was fired from the movie after completing 75% of the film for being difficult to work with. Dexter Fletcher (who is set to helm “Rocket Man”) took over the remaining directing duties and polished the rest of the film.
The cast was one of the best aspects of the film. Rami Malek was sensational as Freddy Mercury. He took the role after Sacha Baron Cohen decided to pass on the film. Malek channels the confidence and inner turmoil Mercury faced throughout his life. The supporting cast were great and made you feel like you were really watching the band Queen. Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, and Joseph Mazzello portray Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. The chemistry with the cast felt as real as the chemistry of the group. Mike Myers plays a record executive named Ray Foster. I thought he might be distracting but I liked his small part in the film. The film gave a humorous nod to his “Wayne’s World” role as well.
The love story focused on his relationship with Mary Austin, depicting her as perhaps the true love of his life despite his homosexuality. This is a very tragic relationship in the movie. The film doesn’t shy away from his homosexuality despite what some critics are saying. The film tried to represent love as something deeper and independent of sexuality. It was really well done and emotional in my opinion and seemed to really want the audience to think about what love truly represents.
The film was funny and charming. Seeing the poor reviews showcased for the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” was humorous considering it’s a classic. The conversations about the song “I’m In Love With My Car” provided a humorous on going joke in the movie. There were aspects about Freddy Mercury and Queen I wasn’t aware of and found interesting. I also liked how they focused on each band members contributions to the music and showing how collaborative they all were together. The concert footage was also beyond fantastic. The cinematography for those scenes made you feel like you were there. There were literally people in the theater waving their arms in the air as the music played.
I wish they covered certain events like scoring “Flash Gordon” and “Highlander” (although “Who Wants to Live Forever” was featured in the movie and used effectively). My guess is they couldn’t depict that over rights issues. That was the only thing I can complain about, the movie left me wanting more. Ultimately “Bohemian Rhapsody” turned out to be one of the best movies and best experiences I have seen in awhile.
Grade: A+
Grade: A+
