Written straight for the stage

Rating: 6/10 (8 April 2020)

Competent acting, impressive music and a mind-blowing budget centred around one of the most charismatic rock n roll stars that Britain has ever produced? That should be a hit, right? Wrong.
I was ready to enjoy a biopic style movie with Elton John's music depicted in a way as to be enjoyed for the music, not for the huge musical style dance number that went with it.
In one scene, a young Elton tells a man to take his drink off the piano as "it'll get knocked off." He then plays a few bars (har har) on the piano then takes part in the dance montage around him. Really, Reginald? Is that exactly how it happened?
It's cinematic choices like this that make this movie less than what it could have been. Why couldn't we enjoy a young Reg' Dwight playing the piano and the crowd in the pub reacting to it? I know I would have enjoyed that an awful lot more than a scene that screams, "make me a West End musical!!"
A good movie which could have been, and deserved to be, great.