Brought tears to my eyes, but not because it was good...

Rating: 5/10 (8 November 2018)

Bryan Singer's Bohemian Rhapsody is easily, one of, if not, thee most anticipated films of 2018. I'm sure that even the most skeptic Queen fan was curious to see how this was going to be pulled off. Well, let's talk about that...
First of all, any and all praise should essentially go to Rami Malek. He's an excellent actor who obviously took the role of Freddie quite seriously. I won't lie, the casting director did a great job finding the rest of the band too, but it was more for their physical appearance rather than anything else; they were really just a static supporting cast. I mention the rest of the cast because this film was essentially supposed to be about Queen, and not exclusively about Freddie. Well, they missed the mark on that one, and it's an upsetting notion.
I had basically been following this project ever since the idea stage. I remember when Ben Whishaw was tied to the lead, but better yet, when Sacha Cohen was going to give it a go as our ill-fated frontman. Initially, Cohen was quite serious about the role, and proposed that the film be an R-rated, hardcore rendering of the singer's life. Knowing Cohen's outlandish approach to cinema, it may have been brilliant. Sadly, the members of Queen were not on the same page, and demanded a change in direction. I remember reading, that the band wanted it to be about their collective journey, up to the point of Live Aid. At the end, the only thing that was true to this ambition, was the classic 1985, Live Aid performance which was recreated quite well.
We all know how Freddie's journey ends, so there's no spoiler there, but for such a poignant figure in popular music of the 20th century, I expected so much more. Honestly, a breathtaking film about Freddie would take a hell of a lot, and very little of that "lot" was in this film. To loosely quote a review, Bohemian Rhapsody is like a Wikipedia bio of the band. The film references a collection of important moments in the band's career, but it feels all so superficial. Freddie is basically in every scene, and it becomes apparent that the film is about him, which again, was not supposed to be the original intent. The outcome is a basic overview, that just upsets the viewer, because you're left wanting more. It was the power of Queen's music and the notion of the tragedy that was bestowed upon Freddie Mercury, that brought tears to my eyes; however, if there's one reason alone to see this film, it's for Malek's professional dedication to the role, and for that reason alone I give it a 5. I will say, putting Malek aside, the missed opportunity of not green lighting the Cohen project was another major part of the tragedy.
Bohemian Rhapsody is sadly superficial, and I can only hope that a respectful, yet honest depiction of Freddie's life hits the screen in some way, shape, or form in the future. If not, we always have their wonderful music, and that's truly the only thing that counts.