Ever since watching the trailer for Bohemian Rhapsody, everyone at Goosed has been waiting its release. The day finally arrived, and it was worth waiting for.
The Plot
When we think of Queen, the general thoughts are of gut wrenching guitar solos, big rock anthems and Brian May’s fabulous hair. And while Bohemian Rhapsody has all of this and more, it is at it’s heart, the story of Freddie Mercury, and his sometimes strained relationship with the other band members.
Spoiler Alert!
The movie starts off following Mercury on his way to the stage at Live Aid in 1985, giving you a sense that the movie is building to this point. Rewinding 15 years, it picks up with Mercury meeting future band mates Brian May and Roger Taylor after a college gig. It has all the characteristics of a feel god movie at this point, using some sharp humour to explore the creativity of Queen. There’s even a subtle tip of the cap to one of the most iconic movie scenes of the 1990’s. Bonus points if you can spot it during the movie.
From there, the movie moves quickly through the bands history, right through to when Mercury decides to quit Queen and go solo. Here, Bohemian Rhapsody takes a noticeably darker turn, touching on Mercury’s struggles with his sexuality, and his descent into a world of drugs, promiscuity and ultimately, isolation. Redemption eventually comes with the help of the “love of his life”, who continues to stand by him throughout.
The Cast
Rami Malek, known for his role in HBO’s World War 2 series The Pacific, is in the lead role for Bohemian Rhapsody. He delivers a performance that is worthy of Freddie Mercury himself, becoming the showman when on stage, and equally acting the role as the problematic, troubled soul with a massive ego. He is well backed by Lucy Boynton, Joseph Mazzello (the kid from Jurassic Park) and Ben Hardy (of Eastenders fame). Aiden Gillen plays the bands manager in the early part of the movie. Unfortunately, it’s hard not to imagine him as Little Finger throughout.
Verdict
Overall, Bohemian Rhapsody lives up to the expectation that came with the trailer. As with other biopic movies, such as Ray and Walk the Line, it covers the story of Freddie Mercury and Queen, but doesn’t shy away from the seedier side of his life. There is plenty of humour throughout, combined with some genuine heart felt moments. And of course, there are some quite epic performances from Malek and co. If you can stop yourself pounding your feet when We Will Rock You is on, you’re better than I am.
A really well made movie that you will enjoy, even if you’re not a fan of Queen.
