An honest and open look at Elton's breakthrough years

Rating: 8/10 (5 April 2020)

I have very mixed feelings about this film. I should perhaps preface my following views on the film by saying I'm not a huge fan on Elton John's music. I'm familiar with some of his biggest hits and enjoy them, but beyond that I've not much interest or knowledge of his records. I do think that having a bit more of an interest in him as a person and his music would heighten the enjoyment of Rocketman, but even without that it is still a film worth watching, telling a very human story at its core.
Considering that he was playing such an icon (and one who is still alive) all eyes were on Taron and his performance, which was undeniably great. He captured so many emotions in his performance, playing the tortured side of Elton incredibly well, and also demonstrating his eccentric and extroverted side remarkably. You really got the sense that no matter what was going on superficially, there was always something insidious under the faÃ§ade and Taron did a fantastic job in demonstrating this complexity and tragedy of John's breakout years.
As mentioned before I really had very little idea of the life of Elton John, so the rawness and honesty of this film really struck me. This film puts all of Elton's tragedy and flaws front and centre, confronting the destructive side of fame and not shying away from anything.
In a reflection of his life, his performances and his character, the film adopts a slightly psychedelic approach to some of its story telling, which I think blended really well the characters and tone.
This film is definitely one to watch, but was perhaps more tragic than I was expecting. Ultimately it ends positively and there are bountiful moments of levity throughout, but what struck me most about Rocketman was the way it confronted the pitfalls of fame and the demons of addiction. A good film, but the level of enjoyment may hinge slightly on whether you are an Elton fan or not!