After nearly a decade in the making, this eagerly awaited celebration of Queen’s music and legacy is finally rocking and selling out cinemas everywhere. Plans for a film about the iconic British rock band go back to 2010, after which various setbacks prevented it from getting off the ground until only a couple of years ago, not least the artistic disagreements over what direction the project would take. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is essentially a musical biopic that chronicles the band’s formation, the origins of their revolutionary sound, their rise from nowhere to topping the charts with the film’s titular track, frontman Freddie Mercury’s personal relationships and AIDS diagnosis, and their seminal performance at Live Aid in 1985. Owing to the limitations of running time, the film feels like a medley of Queen’s greatest hits in unison with an exploration of Mercury’s wrestling match with his sexuality.
Lead guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor are credited as producers of the film. It’s worth mentioning they produced it, as it does feel overall like the film Queen would have wanted making about their success and global stardom. The narrative is a rather sanitised version of events, as the band’s journey is depicted as relatively smooth without too many bumps in the road. In real life the truth was anything but. Certain moments for the group have been rewritten in adherence to the biopic convention of simplification at the expense of the full story, the most notable adjustment being the build-up to Live Aid. Unlike the film’s timeline of events, Mercury did not abandon his team in pursuit of a solo career, and there was no dramatic reveal of his AIDS diagnosis during Live Aid rehearsals. At times the dialogue is too on the nose to ring true, ‘there is no ghetto that can contain us’, to quote one instance of many. Factual inaccuracies aside, the film is a highly enjoyable watch not only for the fans, but also for those who don’t have an extensive knowledge of Queen’s story.
According to recent reports, the project was originally going to be an R-rated, raunchy biopic with a more explicit focus on Mercury’s sexuality. With this version being a 12A, there is only so much the film makers could get away with showing in a family-friendly drama. That being said, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ doesn’t ‘straight wash’ Mercury as some have alleged and criticised it for: Mercury comes out as bisexual to his one-time fiancée and best friend Mary Austin, who assures him that he’s gay. The film glosses over Mercury’s homosexual relationships in favour of an intimate focus on his relationship with Austin, and the scenes between them are beautifully acted with heartfelt poignancy. The wild, drug-fuelled parties Mercury famously hosted are shown in a couple of scenes, but the excesses are kept to a minimum in abidance with the age certificate’s regulations. Controversially, the film suggests a correlation between Mercury’s experimentation and his hedonistic debauchery which I found quite troubling. Instead of showcasing everything Mercury got up to outside the band, the film treats his private life with respect and tenderness, no doubt thanks to May and Taylor’s protective influence. Plus, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is not a tell-all fact file on Queen’s members, so the fans who hoped for a less tame biopic should stick on a Channel 4 documentary instead.
The film finds its wings or stumbles on its central performance. Luckily for Queen fans, Rami Malek of ‘Mr. Robot’ fame is the film’s strongest feature. Malek channels Mercury’s rock god stage persona with such astounding energy and conviction that I momentarily forgot I was watching an actor instead of the icon himself. Not only does Malek emulate Mercury’s peacock strut and flamboyant on-stage charisma, but also manages to sensitively capture his shyness and insecurities outside performing. It’s almost as though Malek is playing dual roles of opposite characteristics, which is a hefty challenge for any actor to take on, not to mention the pressures that automatically come with playing someone with a legacy like Mercury’s. Malek handles the weight of the role with impressive agility and skill, and the method effort he invests is worthy of awards attention. Another stand-out performance is that of Gwilym Lee as Brian May who does some credible work. Malek getting the majority of the critical praise while Lee is underrated is ironically similar to Mercury being labelled by many as the leader of the band. Mike Myers makes an ill-fitting appearance as a fictional EMI executive, as his role is merely a cameo reference to his film ‘Wayne’s World’ that put ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ back in the charts after Mercury’s death.
In short, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ works well as a crowd-pleasing, feel-good watch with some catchy Queen songs. There is never a dull moment and the chemistry between the four misfits is sharp and humorously executed. Along with the magnetism of the lead performance, one of the film’s best features is the musical sequences which have the electrifying effect of making you feel part of the cheering crowd. The recreation of the group’s Live Aid performance pays tribute to the place that Queen holds in many people’s hearts. The film swerves lionisation of its heroes in its consistent aim of celebrating Queen’s enduring appeal and popularity with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. If you were to pinpoint every dramatic liberty, it would take the shine off what the film is trying to say: be unique and ignore the cynics. Much of the film may be just fantasy, but it’s an inspiring one.
HKFilmBlog 
A brilliant and accurate review of a great film!
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Well written Han
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