An uplifting behind the scenes look at Queen

Rating: 7/10 (28 October 2018)

I really enjoyed this re-creation of Queen and Freddie Mercury, which provided unexpected insights. It balanced music performance, Farrokh Bulsara's family life, the up and downs of professional musician's lives, their managers and the challenges of maintaining relationships really well, and mostly deserved its 2 hour 15 minutes running time.
II'm a child of the mid 1950s, remain a regularly performing amateur musician, and I've found Queen's music entertaining, interesting, technically competent and full of substantial themes. This film focuses on the 1980s and music and issues of that era, and if you don't have interest or appreciation of those issues, you may find the film slow or irrelevant. I felt the first third could have been tightened without losing the narrative.
The visual presentation is terrific and took me back to that era. I recall watching the 1985 Live Aid for Africa concert on a little TV of that time, and the film recalled all the buoyant positive emotion of that spectacle.
The casting is terrific, and no one stood out to me as inadequate. Rami Malek looks and sounds like Freddie Mercury - a tribute to the casting and the dozens of musical and technical coaches listed on the credits. Plus, and probably more importantly, Rami's hard work over months if not a year or two.
The screening structure and dialogue writing are top notch, and both contribute to some really funny moments and overall believability. As Myth Busters Adam and Jamie might say, "It's plausible".
If you recall Queen and the music from that era fondly, I expect you'll love it. Otherwise, there's a fair bit to think about in its treatment of gender relationships, sexual preferences and current issues. But it's primarily a band film, and your enjoyment might be similar to your affection for this band's music.
I've rated it 7 considering a broader audience. Queen aficionados will doubtless rate it higher.