A wild depiction of the rock n' roll lifestyle through the eyes of one of the most iconic musicians of all time

Rating: 8/10 (29 May 2019)

Rocketman is a biopic about the life of legendary singer-songwriter Elton John. Starring Taron Egerton in the lead role, it is a wild depiction of the rock n' roll lifestyle through the eyes of one of the most iconic musicians of all time.
Since he was a shy young boy, Reginald Dwight (Taron Egerton) has had a knack for playing piano by ear and decides to enrol at the Royal Academy of Music, a prestigious musical school that he hopes will nurture his talents. While there, Reginald believes he has what it takes to become a singer-songwriter, adopting the stage name "Elton John" and signing an album deal with a major record company. Eventually, Elton John becomes world famous due to his outlandish live performances and catchy songs, making him one of the best selling music artists in history. However, all of this fame and fortune comes at a price, as Elton struggles with drug addiction, depression, the loss of friends, and his own sexuality.
With its clever combination of musical numbers and topical subject matter, Rocketman is a must-see for any Elton John fan young and old. Even though the film does glance over a small amount of the musician's struggles at times, the audience is shown just enough to understand the pain he is feeling as he tries to come to terms with it. Taron Egerton gives a fantastic performance as Elton John, practically on the same level as Rami Malek playing Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody". He perfectly captures that signature flamboyance and visceral energy that made Elton so popular in the first place, while also showing his melancholy side when dealing with his problems off-stage. However, unlike "Bohemian Rhapsody", this film does not water down the lead subject's rockstar lifestyle as we are shown most of his debaucherous acts of sex and drugs, which gives us a better look into why he was trying to nullify his own personal insecurities in the first place. Even to Elton John novices, this is one biopic worth checking out.
I rate it 8/10