Flying Slightly Above Most Musical Bios

Rating: 8/10 (6 June 2019)

GRADE: B
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A fine performance by Taron Egerton and some fancy direction elevates Rocketman from its tethered script.
JIM'S REVIEW: I remember when rock was young...and a young singer named Reginald Dwight a.k.a. Elton John exploded on the music scene with hit after hit after hit. Rocketman, an exuberant film biography of this musical legend, plays those hits too, as the film strings together the soundtrack of his life with varying degrees of success. Due mostly to a sensational performance by Taron Egerton in the title role, the musical interludes are performed and viewed very imaginatively, even if the storytelling is strictly mundane.
Lee Hall's screenplay follows the contrived formula usually found in most bio-pics by showing the highs and lows of Elton John's personal story and expansive career: a child prodigy, unloving parents, a doting grandma, a caring music partner, a destructive relationship with his first lover/ manager, the typical drugs, sex, and rock and roll, etc. The story goes from Point A to Point B in a very predictable manner. The supporting characters are stock figures with little development and the writing never brings any depth to their motives or backgrounds. It expects the songs to tell the story in a most obvious way.
Still, what sets this tired old clichÃ© set-up apart from most bio-pics are the clever musical numbers that give the film a surreal and engaging quality. The songs are performed in no chronologic order. Instead they are the lead-ins and exposition to the many mercurial stages of the singer's life. This is strictly a juke box musical ala Mamma Mia, only much much better, with hints of The Who's Tommy thrown in at full throttle. The actors sing and dance their emotions through Mr. John's infectious music and Bernie Taupin's expressive lyrics, adding so much class to the film.
And the whole concept mostly works.
Yes, it's all too obvious and at times, overdone and excessive...but so is the man on stage. Director Dexter Fletcher knows how to stage his musical dream sequences and concert performances with the needed style and flourish. He also unflinchingly shows John's sexuality and does not sanitize these encounters as he did with the crowd-pleasing Freddy Mercury biography, Bohemian Rhapsody, which he previously co-directed. Special mention must also be paid to Julian Day's costumes which replicate John's iconic outfits with nostalgia and creative edginess.
But it is Mr. Egerton, who does his own singing (a daring choice), and he captures the megastar's vocal intonations quite well. The actor delivers the emotional gravitas, especially in depicting Mr. John's abusive behavior. One hopes his performance will not be overlooked during award season. Jamie Bell plays John's writing partner, Bernie Taupin, and makes his character believable and real. As the villainous business manager / evil lover, Richard Madden tries to underplay this character with some degree of credibility, but the writing undoes his effort. Bryce Dallas Howard and Steven Mackintosh as Reginald's feuding mum and dad are wasted in their stereotypical roles.
With an excellent lead performance by Mr. Egerton, Rocketman is always entertaining. Yet, while the film attains lift off, it just doesn't soar as high as it could.