"I can't stand the in-between parts"

Rating: 6/10 (4 November 2018)

"I can't stand the in-between parts" (paraphrased quote) is at one point said by Freddie Mercury during this film while talking about the parts of his life between performances, which on a meta-level, was also my biggest problem with the movie. Although Bohemian Rhapsody is a well-acted movie with some amazingly staged performance sequences, the story that fills the remainder of the movie could be told better. Ironically, despite having notable director issues (Bryan Singer leaving the project a few weeks before shooting ended), I thought the directing was far from the biggest issue, and rather that the script was what brought the movie down. Anthony McCarten's screenplay seems to have flipped the age old saying "show don't tell," with much of the character development and important moments being described to the audience rather than shown. Considering that the general story hits quite a few familiar beats to other band/musician biopics, this lack of visual storytelling is a major detriment to the overall film. My other big issue with the story is that this movie seems like an odd mash-up of two movies. One, a dramatic and personal story about Freddie Mercury. The other an entertaining popcorn movie about how Queen came together and became what they are remembered for. In my opinion they should have chosen one of these avenues and explored it fully rather than trying to do both, as neither story arc gets the development it needs, and the final product is oddly disjointed. Despite these script issues, Bohemian Rhapsody does have some spectacular elements. Obviously the big one is Rami Malek's career-changing performance as Freddie Mercury. He not only nails the mannerisms and personality of Mercury, but also does a wonderful job at conveying the tortured soul hidden underneath the legendary performer. All of the praise that Malek has received is absolutely earned, as is his tentative Oscar nomination. Besides Malek at the center, the supporting cast does a great job as well, delivering either a dramatic performance (Gwilym Lee and Lucy Boynton in particular), or providing some needed levity and comic-relief. However, Bohemian Rhapsody isn't just well acted, from a technical-standpoint it also very well made, especially the concert scenes. The sound-mixing and camera work during the Live Aid scene is truly next level, and sets a new bar for showcasing musical performances in film. To sum up, Bohemian Rhapsody has all of the elements to be a great movie but just isn't able to balance the style and substance well enough for my taste. That being said, I think many people will thoroughly enjoy it, and any fan of Queen should see it for Malek's performance alone.