A biopic that would make its front-man proud

Rating: 9/10 (7 November 2018)

After the drama surrounding the departure of original lead Sacha Baron Cohen being replaced by Rami Malek to the 2017 holiday firing of original director Bryan Singer being replaced by Dexter Fletcher (however DGA rules allowed Singer credit), we all wondered if this film would ever make it to screens. However after all this on-set debacles, the remaining members of the production delivered a terrific final product.
Chronicling the formation of Queen in 1970 to their dynamic and legendary 1985 Live Aid performance, there is no shortage of ups and downs within the narrative. There are quarrels between the band-mates and personal dilemmas for iconic front-man, Freddie Mercury, as he struggles to find his personal identity and run his band. While the film isn't entirely accurate with details of Mercury's strifes, the writers still treat the late musician with respect and care that made Freddie so beloved by his fans, friends and loved ones.
Before getting to the performance of lead Rami Malek, credit must first go to the supporting players who are equally important to making the film's emotional core work. From Gwilym Lee as Queen guitarist Brian May (who produced the feature along with drummer Roger Taylor) who helped write the majority of Queen's biggest hits, Ben Hardy as drummer Roger Taylor who resents when Freddie keeps showing up late or upset when his contributions get cut but ultimately cares about the men of the band, Joe Mazello as John Deacon who is the other reserved member of the group and then there's Lucy Boynton as Freddie's long-time friend and confidante Mary Austin. Boynton does harness the compassionate side of Mary as she copes with the initial hurt of Freddie's sexuality, but embraced him regardless which led to their long-lasting friendship. However Boynton's performance is still not quite up to accuracy par as she tends to be slightly over-dramatic and sometimes comes off as a jilted girlfriend rather than someone who figured out her friend's secret and chose not to be judgmental. Still a valuable role for the British actress and one to be proud of.
Now to the man of the feature: Rami Malek as the legendary Freddie Mercury. From relative obscurity to landing the coveted role of Elliot Alderson on TV's "Mr. Robot", Malek struck the jackpot with the role of Queen's legendary front-man after the departure of Sacha Baron Cohen. Immediately making an impression as we only see glimpses of the actor in costume until we go back to the night he met his future band-mates. Malek attaches to Mercury's shyness as he approaches Brian, Roger and John but his charisma ultimately shines through as he wins the attention of the three musicians. As the film goes on, the filmmakers begin to touch on the conflict of Freddie's sexual identity especially with the world's attitude towards homosexuality in the 1970s and 1980s. While not always accurate, the writers never pass judgment and allow Malek to subtly embrace the true nature of Freddie's private life. Thanks to the charisma of Malek, we still love Freddie even when he does cause tension with his band or his family. While the actor doesn't get to display his vocal chops often, Malek captures the stage presence and essence that made Queen's live concerts so beloved and legendary.
The music is of course the crux of the feature. Viewers can't help but want to join in the singing (yours truly sure did) as Mercury's powerful vocals radiate through the screen. Even though he died in 1991, using the front-man's vocals helps make it seem that Freddie never left us. This also lends to massive feels as the performance sequences do such justice to the band's famous concerts and would've made Freddie Mercury proud.