Malek Shines In Bohemian Rhapsody

Rating: 8/10 (22 January 2020)

Queen, headed by Freddie Mercury, was among the most popular bands in the 1980s. In 2018, Bryan Singer directed Bohemian Rhapsody, a thrilling biopic that portrays the band's life. Despite excessive editing; superb costuming and camerwork, along with a star performance by Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, cements Bohemian Rhapsody as an entertaining portrayal of the story of Queen.
This biographical drama film casts Rami Malek in a star role as Freddie Mercury, with Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, and Joseph Mazzello in supporting roles as Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon, the three other members of Queen, respectively.
The film begins with Freddie joining a band he saw at a club, which shortly thereafter renames itself to Queen. The band soon begins to gain popularity and begins performing in concerts all over the world in cities like New York City, Edinburgh, and London. Later on, Freddie begins to date Paul Prenter, who convinces Freddie to break off from Queen and begin a solo career. A void forms between Freddie and the rest of Queen, however, years later, they make amends, and shine in their 1985 performance of Live Aid at Wembley Stadium.
The costuming and outfits in this film, particularly on Malek, are absolutely phenomenal, as they perfectly portray the characters. First and foremost, Rami Malek's fake buck teeth are a seamless fit, and help make Malek come to life as Freddie Mercury. Costume designer Julian Day puts several exquisite costumes on Malek, including a shiny king outfit, which beautiful depicts Mercury's personality as a flamboyant star.
Bryan Singer and Newton Thomas Sigel, the director and cinematographer, respectively, do an excellent job of creating camera angles where the lighting makes the scene come to life. In one scene that recreates the 1976 Edinburgh concert, blue and red flashing lights are seamlessly integrated into the camera shot, creating the effect that you are literally at the concert as you watch the film.
Malek shines in his role as lead actor on and off the stage. On the stage, his quirky movements and passionate lip syncing perfectly resemble Freddie Mercury. Off the stage, Malek is an arrogant, as he shows an unwavering desire to make perfect music, but also awkward at times, shy around those he was unfamiliar with. He occasionally shows his soft side, like when his emotions poured out when he found out he was gay. Malek's performance, simply put, is perfect.
Although Mary Austin breaks the heart of Freddie, she is vital to the film. She informs Freddie that he is gay and breaks up with him, and although this crushes Freddie, it helps him accept this reality, and leads him to not being shy about it in the future. Lucy Boynton emotionally plays the role of Mary to perfection.
The most obvious drawback of this film is that at times, the editing is unnecessary and flat out annoying. One scene stands out in particular: when the members of Queen meet their manager, John Reid. The scene is a relatively normal discussion at a table, but the editing is rapid and infuriating. The camera angle changes seemingly every second, as if it were a fight scene in an action movie, making it difficult to focus on the conversation.
Bohemian Rhapsody resembles Rocketman, the Dexter Fletcher directed biopic that gives insight into Elton John's life. Similar to Rocketman, the movie is entertaining enough that you will stay engaged throughout your whole viewing. So, despite hiccups in the film's editing, Bohemian Rhapsody is an entertaining movie that evokes joy, sadness, and laughter, making it a must watch.