"We're four misfits who don't belong together playing for the other misfits."

Rating: 9/10 (28 November 2018)

For whatever reason, I didn't follow Queen the way I did The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. I liked their music well enough, but Freddie Mercury never registered on my radar, most likely because my Golden Era of musical memories consisted of The Sixties groups representing the British Invasion, Motown, and the Sun and Surf Sound. Except for the fact that I knew and enjoyed all the Queen songs in the film, virtually everything else about the band was new information for this viewer, and as such, I can't attest to the accuracy of the story that was presented. So coming from that standpoint, this effort came across as one of the better music biopics I've encountered, with actor Rami Malek offering an inspired portrayal of the late Freddie Mercury. However I couldn't help thinking that he was channeling Mick Jagger both in appearance and stage presence, so if ever an actor is called upon to portray the iconic lead singer of the Stones in a film, Malek just might be the guy to do it. The rest of the band members, while taking a back seat to Mercury, still had moments of their own to make their presence felt in the story. With original band members Brian May and Roger Taylor signed on as executive music producers for the film, it didn't feel like their contributions sought to highlight their own presence in the band at the expense of the front man. The only quibble I might have with the picture was that the songs didn't quite mimic the sound of the original Queen, but by the time you get to the Live Aid finale, that goes out the window with the showmanship and sound of the closing numbers. Definitely a movie to watch for music fans, even if Freddie Mercury and Queen's era passed you by.