Bohemian Rhapsody - Movie Review

I have been waiting for Bohemian Rhapsody for years it seems. The plan was first conceived in 2010 with Sasha Baron Cohen slotted for the lead role as Farrokh "Freddie Mercury" Bulsara. I first learned of this movie three years ago when it was slated to launch on my birthday 2016. It never happened. Then, recently, I started to see trailers for Bohemian Rhapsody starring Rami Malek. I had my doubts, as Malek does not have a strong presence. With that in mind, I purchased my IMax tickets for this epic saga at my local AMC theater. As I sit here typing, I have the soundtrack from Queen setting the mood as I transcribe my thoughts and impressions of this film.

I grew up in the 1970s. While the era was rife with cultural phenomenons like the BeeGees and an endless slate of one-hit wonders, they are defined for me by two bands. The Eagles and Queen. There were plenty of other great bands. There were plenty of films featuring great bands. I was a film buff even then. I saw Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Tommy at the theater. While The Who and The Beatles were certainly huge in the 1970s, the sound of the 1970s for me will always be defined by the music of Queen and The Eagles. That was my experience. Judging by the turnout at the IMax experience, it was the experience of quite a few other folks my age.

I was sorely disappointed when I read that this film was not going to be made. At the time, Cohen claimed that the band wanted the story to be about all of them, with Freddie just part of the story. They wanted his death to be midway in the film and then carry on to tell the story about the rest of the band after Freddie Mercury. To paraphrase Cohen, "not one person wants to see that film." Recent interviews cast a slightly different light on the reason the first film wasn't made. It seems Cohen wanted to revel in Mercury's fabulousness. He wanted to be naked a lot and he wanted the film to be over the top. A pure R rated experience. In retrospect, I'm glad that's is not the film that was made. I think I prefer the measured approach. As it is, we squeezed nearly two decades into two hours, fifteen minutes. Telling a uniquely Freddie Mercury story in that format presented obvious challenges. Those challenges were managed well.

The first challenge brings me back to the casting. Who do you cast as Freddie Mercury? Rami Malek was an interesting choice. He has a physical resemblance to Mercury, although its a stretch. Make up certainly helped the transition, although it seemed the make up may have been overdone at times. His complexion seemed to change. I was hoping that Malek would nail this role, but it was tepid. A bit better than his recent performance in Papillon. Malek does not have a strong stage presence. He is a bit understated. There were times when I bought off on the illusion and there were times it felt as if I were watching Malek play dress up. It would be interesting to see how Cohen would have delivered this character. The rest of the cast was inconsequential to me. Other than Mike Myers as a shady record producer. It was kind of weird distraction, yet oddly amusing. Yeah, baby, yeah....

As opposed to the R rated version that Sasha Baron Cohen wanted to produce, Bohemian Rhapsody managed a family-friendly PG-13 rating from the MPAA. The film begins with Mercury's early days as a baggage handler at Heathrow, quickly progressing through his mild family turmoil, meeting the band, becoming the lead singer and going "all in" to produce an album. The rest, as they say, is history. The film examines his inner conflict over his sexuality, the people in his orbit that were using him and the struggles the band had as they evolved. It culminates in their explosive performance at Live Aid in 1985. The film deals with sexuality and has some drug and alcohol use. It also has strong language. For the most part, it is tame. Younger viewers may not get "our" music. But I wouldn't restrict this film by age.

All said, the casting decisions being what they are, what did I think in the end? Simply put, this film was worth waiting for. While there were minor liberties taken with the story, most were a matter of convenience rather than revisionist in their intent. The casting wasn't bad. I would have like a stronger actor as Mercury, but Malek did create the illusion at times. When his energy was up, mostly during performances, it was phenomenal to watch. In more sedated dialogue, I struggled a bit. Luckily, this film moves at a rapid pace to cover a lot of ground. More importantly, that soundtrack! In IMax, the incredible music of Queen blasted with a concert-like quality that gave the film even greater impact. The music is what defined the seventies. It is what defined Queen. It is what defined Freddie Mercury. And in the end, it is what defines this film. For Queen fans, this is a film not to be missed. 8.5/10.

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