Is this the real life? Or is it just fantasy?

Rating: 7/10 (18 November 2018)

Bohemian Rhapsody is directed by Bryan Singer (and later Dexter Fletcher) and stars Rami Malek, Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee, Jospeh Mazzello and others and tells the story of Freddie Mercury (played by Malek) and how the iconic band Queen came into popularity while also exploring his own sexuality.
Like most people who watched it, I'm also a Queen fan. In a factual context, you can see all the historical inaccuracies put into the film in order to make the pacing flow better and to make it more accessible to mainstream audiences. As a fan, it's easy to nitpick all these details but new audiences wouldn't notice.
The performances are great, especially by Rami Malek. The impersonation of the vocalist doesn't make you see him as Rami Malek acting. You can actually see Freddie Mercury in his performance. From the gestures to the mannerism, to the body movement, it's all so convincing. Lee as Brian May is also great, along with Hardy as Roger Taylor and Mazzello as John Deacon. You can't really judge a biopic based from character development but you have to also make these real life characters be like human beings, and not just about characters doing stuff because that's what history stated. This film achieved at understanding and fleshing out these characters, even Lucy Boynton as Mary Austin, Freddie's past lover, although in a more fictional direction.
The musical sequences are great. They really did a great job at putting the nostalgia in the big screen but aside from those sequences, the editing of some scenes in the film are a bit jarring. Multiple cuts are used in one scene, and to the other, failing to make that scene emotional and compelling. But some audiences wouldn't really notice that. And I also notice the use of sudden song numbers in some scenes. I know what they're going for in those scenes but it's not as effective as it intended to be. They're just put out there for the sake of us singing along to that song.
The Live Aid performance is probably the best scene of the entire film. The level of detail and the performances of each actor are so accurate, you feel like you're watching the real concert. The actor's dedication paid off, and you can really feel the respect for the band, despite some creative liberties used.
I love this film. Even though it's not the perfect movie, it's the perfect Queen movie for old and new fans alike. Malek's performance is Oscar-worthy, although I would love it if they went deeper into Freddie's story, but it's still a good film.
-Yman Dayawon