See it on the big screen!

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2020)

I think it's impossible to dislike this film; it's just a pretty damn perfect tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen. Often times funny and emotional, it tells the true story of Freddie between the meeting of his fellow band mates and the creation of Queen all the way to the legendary Live Aid gig at Wembley Stadium (the depiction here is masterfully done; so exciting!) a pinnacle historic event that my parents and indeed the majority of their generation attended and when coming out of this screening with my partner and my mother, Mum was practically beaming with delight from the memories it evoked. Directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men, The Usual Suspects) it's a very well rounded depiction of one of the greatest bands and greatest frontmen of all time and delicately balances the humour, conflict and sadness during this time. It's also written by Anthony McCarten who has proven to be an expert at biopics having previously scripted Darkest Hour and The Theory Of Everything. Of course the main star of the show is Rami Malek (Until Dawn, Short Term 12) in his extraordinary role as Mercury; so much so that he seems to practically morph into him through the duration of the film! Not only physically impressive but Malek captures the massive conflict inside Freddie projected out to camera. It's a dedicated performance with such attention to detail; himself and choreographer Polly Bennett worked so hard to capture the exact nuances of Freddie's live performances (fun fact! Sacha Baron Cohen was originally set to star with different writers but all left due to creative differences with the band) Everybody is so well cast, particularly Gwilym Lee who is the spitting image of Brian May! It also features a brilliant cameo from an unrecognisable Mike Myers as doubtful manager Ray Foster; as a Myers fanboy this was so delightful as there is even a very knowing nod to the audience referring to the iconic Queen scene from Wayne's World