Bohemian Rhapsody

 

 

It a strange feeling to watch a film about a subject you know so intimately. Queen was my favorite music as a teenager. I was drawn to their sophistication and orchestration and of course I was dazzled by the voice and sheer power of Freddy Mercury. I lived during these times and watched that Live Aid concert in it's entirety. A lot of good memories.

In the hands of Ryan Malik I believed every single second of this highlight reel. Watching all four of these guys create in a studio is movie making magic. Three intellectuals and a genius design student went onto be the greatest musical act of all time. Their discography alone is my argument. You hear the first few notes of a Queen song and you know which on it is. The movie does a great job at showing the process of creation and how difficult that can always be.

 

"I have four extra teeth in my mouth. Increases my range."

 

 

Any autobiographical movie where two of the original members are heavily involved in it's production is going to be sanitized but it doesn't need to be. We all know how Freddy contracted AIDS but did not wish to become it's poster boy at a time when his full admission would have done much good. It's a complicated issue that you only understand if you lived at that time and you lived and breathed Queen. He died with class and grace and became immortal. No movie can live up to that and this rock bio is by the number, sure, but it will give anyone who doesn't GET Queen an understanding of why these guys were the real deal to those who love them like me and why you should love Freddy Mercury as much as I do.

 

It was joyous and Malik is the reason for that. He became Freddy Mercury and there are some ways that he looks or sounds where I can't tell the real from the made-up. Freddy had a sad complicated life and a lonely one, something that Malek embodies. He brings a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat many times in a transfixing Oscar worthy performance. Now I want him to be nominated and win the award even though that may cost someone from Black Panther the statuette.

The cast is uniformly excellent here with Mike Meyers being a standout as a hinky music company official. It's nice to see him in this after Wayne's World made the song popular years after it might have slipped away from pop culture.

The film leads up to the performance at Live Aid. I watched the original coverage on You Tube the other night and what is up on screen is both mimickry and homage of the highest order.

As a long time fan of this group and all they meant to my life I was very happy with this biopic. I found it respective and at times inspired. I am glad I chose well when I chose my favorite group. This just validates me as a genius all along as well.