Taron Egerton is Elton John - but he NEEDS the others too!

Rating: 9/10 (31 December 2019)

A truly surprisingly good film. Taron Egerton is - and continues to be - excellent, but this is an ensemble piece - without the superb performance from Jamie Bell, the unexpectedly skilled presentation of a truly unlikeable character by Richard Madden and the inspired choice of both Matthew Illesley and Kit Connor as the younger Reg Dwights this film could not have worked. It has a masterful weaving of fact with fantasy and - as you might expect from a film about Elton John - there are a number of hugely enjoyable musical set pieces. It is no surprise that a film about the music of someone who appears in most music collections is such fun to watch. Very enjoyable. For some odd reason several people compare this film with Bohemian Rhapsody, but that would be unhelpful. This is a musical about the rise to fame of Reggie Dwight as he became Elton John. It has musical pieces interspersed with the story and works very well. Bohemian Rhapsody is a better crafted film (I was absolutely blown away by Bohemian Rhapsody when I saw it at the cinema), and it deserved the Oscars it received but (sshhh - little secret) I actually find watching Rocketman more enjoyable, somehow!