A wonderful tribute to Queen and Freddie Mercury

Rating: 7/10 (7 October 2019)

Going in to see "Bohemian Rhapsody," I had no idea what to expect. On one hand, critics gave it mixed reviews at best. On the other, it earned $51 million during opening weekend (according to Deadline) and received 8.4 stars on IMDb. Whatever I expected, I most certainly did not anticipate turning up to the theater only to find literally every single seat sold out in the entire theater except one. And I saw it four days after it came out!
There's no denying "Bohemian Rhapsody" has nearly become a cultural phenomenon, despite barely being out a month. From giving new life to the classic Queen hits to fueling people's fascination with the enigmatic legend that was Freddie Mercury, this film was a long time coming (and rightly so!) But did it live up to the hype? Sort of. The film was incredibly strong in some parts, weak in others.
The main issues lie with the beginning of the film, the pacing and the film's focus. At the start of the film, rather than a slow start gradually introducing us to Freddie and the rest of the band in kind, we are immediately launched into Freddie joining the band and producing hits with them; they release their smash-hit "Killer Queen" less than 15 minutes into the film. This issue ties into the focus of the film: is this a movie about Freddie? Or the origins about Queen? Is it about their journey to the top of the charts? Or is it about the band members' personal struggles? This issue could have been fixed one of two ways: either focusing a lot more on the band as a whole at the beginnings of their career, or cutting the opening entirely, merely introducing us to the band after they have already become famous. This would have clarified the themes a lot more and made it feel less convoluted.
In addition, the pacing is difficult to keep up with. As I mentioned, the movie starts at lightning speed, taking Queen from a college band to an international hit-maker within a matter of minutes. Around the halfway mark however, the movie slows to a near halt, examining Freddie's personal life in great detail and at great length. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated a deeper, more introspective take on Freddie, but this once again made the film confusing and muddied the director's intentions.
There was, however, a great deal the film did right. Most outstanding was Rami Malek's at times charming, at times perplexingly weird, yet altogether captivating performance as the incomparable lead singer of Queen. He gives the character his all, bringing charisma, quirks, and above all a real humanity that every actor aspires to bring to his or her character.
In addition, the look of the film was exquisite: the color, the costumes, the sets, the unique camera techniques all perfectly complimented the mood. Not only did the look excellently capture the 70s/80s nostalgia the film was so clearly aiming for, it also highlighted the confusion, the glory, the frustration and the triumphs so common in the lives of these rockstars. It really put the audience in the minds of Queen; it brought dimension, depth and genuine empathy from the audience.
One of the most notably good aspects of the movie: it's funny. It's so funny. This film has no pretense of being some jaw-dropping, epic, greatest-movie-of-all-time drama; it perfectly balances its more poignant moments with jokes that had the entire theater roaring with laughter.
All in all, "Bohemian Rhapsody's" comedy, its music and its endearing portrayals keep the film an entertaining audience pleaser through and through despite its flaws.
The overall best thing about the movie, however: the hair. Absolutely brilliant.