Bohemian Rhapsody is a Triumphant Movie With a Fantastic Lead Performance

Rating: 9/10 (4 November 2018)

Queen has iconic hit after iconic hit and with the awesome trailer they put together to market this, the excitement for Bohemian Rhapsody was at a fever pitch. Going to see this with a friend, we arrived early for a late showing and it was sold out. We still wanted to see this, so we drove over to the next town and the theatre was still packed. The mediocre reviews and the news from the behind-the-scenes were mildly troubling but it did little to dampen my enthusiasm and I'm so glad I got to see it opening weekend.
This is Freddie's (Rami Malek) story and I liked how they presented his journey. Freddie's portrayed as a complicated individual, he loves performing but gets defensive when the press pries into his private life. He has this magnetic energy where people flock to him but he's never sure of himself and a big part of the movie is him grappling with his sexuality and balancing his interpersonal relationships (this was all done in a surprisingly respectful manner). Maybe the most notable is his romance/friendship with his former wife Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton). This is a sympathetic look at Mercury and even when the movie shows him at his most self-indulgent moments, I still was in awe of him as a performer and respected his ability. I also liked all the other members of the band. They aren't given a lot of time respectively, but they all get a few moments to shine. The movie is surprisingly funny, it doesn't carry the same vibe as other musical biopics like Ray or Walk the Line. There are dark moments but there's a surprising amount of levity and most of the best comedic moments are either the band interacting with each other or the whole band standing up to some bigwig or corporate stooge.
If you love Queen's music, you're going to dig the score. I was in that camp, but I also thought the movie used those songs effectively throughout. We get all of Queen's hits, but they interweave them into the movie to great effect. Commenting further on the audio and visual sensibilities of the movie, I also thought they shot this movie with a sense of style. The best moments are the concert sequences, especially the LIVE AID show that bookends the movie. The CGI on the crowd looks better in some moments than others but the energy is undeniable and those were some impressively filmed scenes.
The reason to rush out to see this movie though is Rami Malek's unbelievable performance as Freddie Mercury. I really hope he gets some recognition at the various awards ceremonies for his work in Bohemian Rhapsody. He does a masterful job bringing Freddie's manic performing style to the movie and equally nails both the comedic and dramatic moments. This might sound a little trite but there came a point in the movie where I forgot I was watching an actor and not the actual Freddie Mercury. Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy and Joseph Mazzello are all solid as the other members of the band Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon respectively. They have a lot of chemistry as a group, they all have some memorable comedic lines and they all deserve praise for their portrayals. Lucy Boynton gave an emotional and well-rounded performance as the love of Freddie's life. Allen Leech was appropriately slimy as Paul Prenter. Aidan Gillen and Tom Hollander both had their moments as the band's manager and lawyer. I also really liked Mike Myers in his small role as Ray Foster. He was very funny, and he was memorable in a relatively thankless part.
Critics have railed against this movie for being too conventional and for following the same beats as most musical biopics. As much as I enjoyed this movie, their criticism is valid. This movie has so much going for it, but it does fail to transcend some of the genre clichÃ©s. Stepping back from the movie and looking at the product as a whole, the same beats of the rise and fall story do apply and while I think this movie executes the formula well, I'll concede the point it can be formulaic. There's also a small nagging doubt where it feels that we didn't really dive into the ugly side of the band's lifestyle. This had to be made with the permission of the band members and Freddie Mercury's estate, so they probably wouldn't allow the dirtiest bits of the journey the band went on. So, we might be looking at Freddie's life through rose coloured glasses but I'm not an expert on the band, so I was willing to set that aside.
I've loved Queen's music since I was a teenager, when everyone was listening to rap music, Queen's greatest hits was in my CD player. I knew walking into this I was going to enjoy Bohemian Rhapsody at a minimum but so much of this movie was done so well, it soared past even my high expectations. The strongest aspect is Rami Malek's performance which will hopefully get the attention it deserves. Its the best lead performance I've seen this year and when this movie intermittently stumbles, he brings it back. This is a funny, poignant and interesting story about a man who was larger than life trying to figure things out as he goes. I think even if you're not a big fan of Queen's music, you'll still enjoy this and the friend I saw this with wasn't a fan. He walked out and begrudgingly admitted it was great. I left the theatre humming Another One Bites the Dust with a big smile on my face. I recommend this wholeheartedly and I'm happy to give it an 8.5/10 and I'll round up to a 9/10.