I'm not a fan

Rating: 3/10 (3 March 2019)

I'm a fan of the music, I'm not a fan of this film. For me, Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury is too dominant. It sucks so much life out of the film that all the other characters seem somewhat 2D. Except for a few brief moments, you could be forgiven for thinking that all the other band members made only minimal creative contribution to the band. Which may be fine if you like Malek's Mercury, but I'm not a fan.
I'm not a fan of his teeth, which seem exaggerated to the point of caricature. Kind of like a dental codpiece. I'm not a fan of codpieces. And I'm not a fan of his makeup, which at times makes him look like he has a serious eating disorder, and only serves to exaggerate his teeth even more.
I'm not a fan of a 24/7 flounce. I get it. Freddie was gay. But repetitive reinforcement of this took up space that could have explored the rich complexity of his nature. An opportunity missed. Mercury deserved better.
Finally, I'm not a fan of the smouldering man pout. I am so not a fan of the smouldering man pout. I hated in the TV series Poldark. I disliked it in this film. Always a cheap theatrical device. Always an irritant.
I don't doubt I'm amongst the minority in reviews of this film, but I'm not a fan.