A triumph. One of the best films of the year

Rating: 10/10 (21 November 2018)

Critics are wrong on literally everything they nitpick on. The historical changes are fine as well as the "sanitization" of Freddie's life. It's a sign of respect on the part of the filmmakers that they didn't make this a cautionary tale, a story of gratuitous sex and drug use, or a film focussing entirely on AIDS. Everything in the film serves the development of Freddie and his journey to find happiness and find his true self... even at the expense of true history, the story told here is a masterful TRIBUTE to the trials and tribulations of his life, with all the pomp and drama that HE HIMSELF WAS INTO. People complain that the story was dramatized but I think Freddie would have loved it. This movie is not only about Freddie, it's FOR Freddie. Rami Malek gives the performance of a lifetime. Every nuance is perfectly practised and he gives the character a deep inner life even when he's not saying anything. A good example is the scene where he gets the biggest room in their bed and breakfast at the expense of everyone else, and he looks out a window and seems lost even in the midst of success. He turns to writing and through his musical writings you can feel the conflict in him between trying to reach his dreams and trying to stay a good person... the story of him finding his sexuality is perfectly executed... the musical journey of the band is excellent if quite shortened for time constraints... the concert setpieces send chills up the spine... the comraderie between the bandmates gives for tons of laughs and is endlessly endearing... just see the film already and give Malek the damned Oscar already