Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Directed by: Bryan Singer

Written by: Andrew McCarten

Starring:

Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury

Lucy Boynton as Mary Austin

Gwilym Lee as Brian May

Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor

Joe Mazzello as John Deacon

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, suggestive material, drug content and language

I’ve been waiting to see this movie for a very long time. After reading about so many production setbacks, though, I was starting to have doubts that I would ever get to see it. I was relieved when production finally began and I knew that I would get to see one of the best music biopics ever…and it truly was.

Queen is arguably one of the best rock bands of all time. They produced so many fun, catchy songs, such as “Another One Bites the Dust,” “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions,” and of course, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The latter is one of my very favorite songs, largely due to its extremely unique style. The changes in the stanza are unlike anything I’ve ever heard, and I remember asking myself how something like that came into existence. This movie answered that question. The sequence where the band records this song is one of the best and funniest of the whole movie.

I have nothing but high praise for Rami Malek, who played Freddie Mercury with superb energy and dedication. I could tell he put his heart and soul into the part, and I’m sure Mercury would be proud of him. I’ve only seen Malek in a few, small things before this movie, but no major roles. Perhaps he was saving himself for this movie – it was truly the role of a lifetime. Malek deserves an Oscar nomination for his performance.

I was very curious about Freddie Mercury’s origins, and his story took me by surprise. He started as a dreamer, as I’m sure is the case with every future rock star. He frequented clubs, always wishing he was up there with the band. Eventually, he got his turn…and the rest was history. Freddie Mercury (vocals/piano), Brian May (lead guitar), Roger Taylor (drums), and John Deacon (bass) formed Queen. Freddie eventually loses sight of what means the most to him, and his personal relationships pay the price. Some of the scenes and stories might be slightly exaggerated, but I was very surprised at some of the ups and downs the band went through (as the song says, “easy come, easy go, little high, little low”).

But the overall mood of the film is not depressing in any way, and it ends with a truly amazing sequence: Queen’s performance in the 1985 Live Aid Concert. I was only a year old at the time, but seeing it on the screen made me feel like I was there at Wembley Stadium. This scene – and the whole movie, for that matter – is the perfect treat for Queen fans.

After leaving the theater, I knew I needed to play some Queen on the drive home. “Bohemian Rhapsody” was the second song to pop up on my phone, and a big smile spread across my face. I was dying to sing along with the song every time it played in the movie, but I didn’t want the rest of the audience to kick me out of the theater for offending their ears (and Freddie’s memory). So I finally let loose and sang alone in the car.

Whether or not you are a fan of Queen, or rock in general, go see this movie. It is well-made, funny, exciting to watch, and it will take your breath away.

4/4 stars