did those scenes of the AA meetings really have to go on throughout the whole movie

Rating: 7/10 (31 May 2019)

Not quite sure what I expected here. Despite pre-release assurances to the contrary was this going to be a saccharin heavy glory tale? Or maybe it really would be a warts and all transgressive tale of absolute excess? Inevitably, I guess, the result is something in the middle. The early minutes are appalling with dancing in the street and Elton as a small child but things improve and the meeting and early days with Bernie Taupin extremely good. It is the second quarter of the film as Elton struggles to establish himself as a performer and a person that are the best but sadly things then take a turn downwards, but just not darkly enough. There is far too much of Elton feeling sorry for himself and blaming everybody else while the soundtrack races on like some over excited tribute band. I have always like the man's voice but not much else and here, we do not even get to hear his voice. I'm sure some will love this but it would have to be someone steeped in his music from the beginning. Not much here for the neutral and did those scenes of the AA meetings really have to go on throughout the whole movie and so many scenes end with 'Its just a dream'!