"Bohemian Rhapsody": Nathan's Movie Review
First and foremost, don't go into this film thinking it's a biography of Freddie Mercury. Bohemian Rhapsody is a biography of Queen as a whole. It focuses on the music and gives an emotional and beautiful tribute to one of the best bands and one of the best singers of all time.
While, yes, the film does give insight into Freddie's life such as where he came from, who he was, and the discovering of his sexuality. It touches on his wild and drug-filled days but brings us back to his epiphany moment and ends on a positive note.
The casting for this film was perfect. Rami Malek was outstanding as the legendary Freddie Mercury, transforming not only his look but his voice to the point that you literally thought you were watching the real Freddie on-screen. Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazello, and Aiden Gillen were outstanding as Brian, Roger, John Deacon, and John Reid respectively. Everyone's looks and sounds were spot-on and felt so real. The chemistry among everyone brought a ton of humor and drama into the mix.
Writers Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan did their best to honor Queen, but there were times when the film felt a bit rushed. It was a PG-13 flick so I knew from the start that there would be some elements that would be skipped. Maybe in a few years, we'll get a full-on Freddie biopic that covers his entire life as there's a ton about him that wasn't even alluded to in this film.
If you can believe it, Bryan Singer, known for the early X-Men films, directed Bohemian Rhapsody. I felt he perfectly captured Freddie's flamboyancy and the band's loving but often unstable relationship with one another.
In conclusion, I highly recommend any fans of Queen to go see this film. It's a beautiful story about struggle, family, and taking charge of your life, living it to its full potential. I give the film a 4 out of 4.
© 2018 Nathan Jasper