MOVIE REVIEW - Like the band Queen this movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, is being panned by its critics. This two plus hour rock-flick is not the best telling of the story of Freddy Mercury or the history of Queen, but it’s the best telling of this story you are going to get with a PG13 rating.
Because of the rating, aspects of the story are only hinted at and glossed over. It’s a glimpse into the life of Freddy Mercury, a life that was filled with mystery. A lot of that mystery is still unanswered after seeing this movie but the viewer will be taken on a music filled 15 year ride through the 1970’s and 80’s.
There has been a lot written about the problems this movie had in being produced at all. The original director, Bryan Singer reportedly walked off the set before its completion due to creative difference and casting issues, only to have the movie finished by someone else. However Singer had imagined the project, the final casting turned out perfect in the uncanny resemblance Rami Malek has to Mercury, not to mention Gwilym Lee as Queen’s guitarist, Brian May.
Some of the best scenes in the movie are the spot-on recreations of some of Queens more famous performances throughout the world. And the conclusion of the movie with the band’s unscheduled 1985 Live Aid performance make this a movie you need to see in the theater with a great sound system.
How do you tell the story of Freddy Mercury and keep a PG13 rating? Singer did it in three acts. In the beginning you have the formation of the band and the creation of many of their iconic songs that seemed to have written themselves. Not much time is given in the movie to the creative forces behind the songs and really no time is given to the creation of the stage persona that Mercury presented to the world.
In one of the first performances with the band, Mercury is struggling with the microphone stand as it breaks in half with Mercury only using the top portion. While the club audience in the scene is laughing at the struggling Mercury, thinking “who is this clown?”, when they hear Mercury’s voice, they and the band realize this guy is for real.
Before I go any further SPOILER ALERT: Freddy Mercury was gay and eventually died of AIDS. I thought I should put that out there for the two or three people that don’t know the story of Queen or Mercury.
The second act of the movie goes into the dark side of the singer and delves into Mercury’s excesses with men, drugs and alcohol as much as a PG13 rating would allow. It tells of the breakup of the band that Mercury thought of as his family but does not direct the blame at the rock star but outside forces that were controlling the singer’s life. Once Mercury accepts that there is little time left in his life due to his choices and excesses which lead to his final battle with AIDS, he realizes that he was at his best when he was with his family, his band mates in Queen.
Which brings us to act three; redemption “Let’s get the band back together”. In the movie Freddy is struggling with his voice just before the 1985 Live Aid performance as he lets the band know that he “has it”, AIDS. Just a note of factual historic correctness, Mercury did not tell the band about his AIDS diagnoses until two years after the Live Aid performance. But this is a retelling of the story with dramatic license so it works for this story and builds up the emotional value of the Live Aid portions at the conclusion.
Leading up to the finally at Live Aid Mercury reconnects with the band, his parents, the love of his life and ultimately his fans. The rise, fall and reassention of Queen and Freddy Mercury in two hours. A perfect story wrapped up in three acts just like it happens every day in real life. Except for Queen nothing was ever that easy.
While there is only a slight mention of the failures of the band, Queen was never as popular in the United States as they were around the rest of the world and American critics relentlessly panned the band in album reviews. It might be hard to believe today but some of Queen’s live albums and compilations were never even released in the States until well after their resurgence following Live Aid, or even after the death of Mercury.
Because of a friend of mine that loved the band I cannot remember a time that Queen was not in my music collection but for many their first exposure to the band was the car scene in the movie “Wayne’s World” where the actors were rocking out the song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. For me it is hard to believe that a band with the talent of Queen was being blasted by critics and overlooked by the American market for so long.
I believe this movie will create a second resurgence for the music of Queen and the band will gain an even larger following 27 years after the death of Freddy Mercury. This movie is packed full of Queen’s music and was fun to watch. There were sad moments; in fact I even shed a few tear during the Live Aid performance which historically is listed as one of the greatest live performances in the history of music.
If you want to watch a historically accurate telling of the Queen story, go on You Tube and find the BBC documentary on the band to get a better idea of the true story. If you want to sit in a darkened theater and hear some great music with a watered down PG13 glossing over of the story of the band, this will not be a waste of your time.
This movie is currently playing on two screens at the Movies Madera starting today. Now Critics, get on your bikes and ride.