Loved it

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2018)

Following the formative years of the legendary band Queen, from the perspective of Freddy Mercury, it takes us along two paths at once. One is what the characters would probably say it is all about, the music. Queen has a rich treasure of well known great tunes to use and play. There sure are a nostalgia factor, but I think a younger audience appreciates the music as well, and perhaps discovers something new. The music is very well used and the urge to clap/sing along is great.
The other part is what the actors might say it is all about. How the band formed and developed, Mercury's relationships with Mary, his family and the gay community. The emergence and the story of AIDS. There are a lot of interesting plots that unfold intertwined with each other. Some events are dramatized quite a bit compared to what really happened, but in the context of making a story for the movie it works.
The acting is superb. Rami Malek has deservedly gotten a lot of praise, but I think the other cast is worth mentioning. The band, Mary especially, and a few minor characters (like Jim Hutton) tha bring invaluable contributions to some scenes. And I really liked the direction too. As I said, there are a lot of things to cover in this movie, but it never felt fragmented. The music, the biography, it all comes together in a splendid weave. And as a fan of movie I really liked the (hidden?) gem of Mike Myers (of Wayne's World fame among other) playing a record boss saying that no kids will sit in a car and singing along to Bohemian Rapsody.
This movie got pretty much everything and does it superbly. Highly recommended (and if you do watch it, do it with a capable sound system!)