Not as Exuberant as the Iconic Song

Rating: 6/10 (4 November 2018)

Queen remains as one of the most iconic rock bands of all time, so making a biopic about them was a no-brainer. This film in particular was actually in development since 2010, with Sacha Baron Cohen attached to play Freddie Mercury himself. However, after several disagreements with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, the project never went into full swing until a few years later, with Rami Malek of Mr. Robot to star as Mercury. In the end, what we got is a beautiful albeit standard tribute to the band. While it has its moments of inspiration, the product doesn't really rise above being passible and highly flawed.
Right off the bat, the biggest problem with Bohemian Rhapsody lies within its depiction of Freddie Mercury through his personal life. Mercury was a highly fascinating albeit eccentric man who spent much of his life coping with his personal stigmas, yet the movie ends up rushing past plot point after plot point so much that the most we gain out of him was that he was bisexual, he liked cats and he died from AIDS. It doesn't help that the rest of Queen aren't given much development either, as each member comes off as two dimensional with little to know about them. What could have been a unique take on the musician biopic genre ends up being as cliche as the next, complete with disapproving parents, the shoddy romantic life, the greedy manager, the band break-up and the drug addiction. Even if some of these elements are appropriately dramatic, they still come off as routine and tiresome.
On the plus side though, Rami Malek is fantastic as Freddie Mercury, as one can tell he truly analyzed his concert performances and videos in capturing enough charm, charisma and skill in recreating the iconic figure. In fact, the actors in general are wonderful in inhabiting their roles, especially those playing the other members of Queen. As formulaic as their relationship can be, they do manage to display a lot of witty banter and humorous rebuttals in managing their group. Even though Mary Austin is written as the typical concerned girlfriend, Lucy Boynton tries her best in making her sympathetic and she pulls it off well enough to create a decent amount of heart in the film. I can't say any of the characters are given enough dimension to be looked upon with greatness, but at least the cast knew how to deliver their performances with a lot of delightful zest.
Bryan Singer's direction on the film can be a mixed bag at times. There are wonderfully crafted moments like the actors recreating the famous opening of the Bohemian Rhapsody music video, with negative quotes from critics being shown in contrast, and pretty much every performance and music video recreation, especially the Live Aid concert. However, other times the editing can get a little jarring and flashy up to the point where some of the performances can get a little sickening to watch. There might also be a few too many quick cuts even during scenes where characters just discuss specific details for their own good. On the other hand, the timing to the music, post production special effects and near flawless singing make up for what would otherwise be distracting choices in mashing scenes together in an exuberantly stylized manner.
There has been a lot of respect for Freddie Mercury and what he did for modern music displayed in the film, but Bohemian Rhapsody could have been so much better than what it became. While the production design, acting and scenes of putting together the band's famous songs are worth praising, the rushed plot and simplified depiction of Mercury's personal and romantic relationships keep the film from being anything special. I suppose if you're simply a die hard Queen fanatic and you just want to see a decent albeit imperfect tribute to the famous band, then you might have a good time. On the other hand, if you're not a fan of them or you're very passionate about the real life of Mercury, it's best to give this one a skip. Maybe someday we'll get a truly marvelous and correct bio on one of Britain's greatest bands, but right now, this will simply remain as one of Rami Malek's best performances on his resume, because that man knew how to bring the bisexual super star to life better than this flick did.