Every time a film is produced about a band, it does not live up to its potential. Most films like “Bohemian Rhapsody” are good, but none are simply amazing.
It is almost impossible for a film with this premise to do well, simply because it has to live up to the band’s name, include accurate facts about the band and go deeper than just filming the band performing.
However, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not like the rest, and is much more than a show. I have no clue how director Bryan Singer successfully managed to incorporate the story of Freddie Mercury’s life while also including the band and their hardships, but he did.
While it is nearly impossible for anyone to perfectly capture Mercury, one of the most amazing vocalists in human history, Rami Malek, the actor who played Mercury, gave an outstanding performance. No one else could have played it better.
The performance of each actor playing individual band members, particularly Ben Hardy and Gwilym Lee, was outstanding. They played the parts given to them with passion, and while it is hard to pull off such dramatic roles, they did it successfully.
Because the movie had such good actors, the result was a believable and moving performance from everyone.
However, there were a few things I disliked about the movie. The title, for example, is simply a flashy song name the producers thought could draw audiences in. They were most definitely correct in their logic, but there were very few scenes actually devoted to the song itself.
I do not mean that I wish the entire movie was about the song, but since the song was hardly in it, I feel like there could have been a more appropriate title for the movie.
On top of the title, the movie spirals from being centered around Mercury’s life as well as Queen’s rise to fame and hardships, and focuses on Mercury’s solo career.
While I do think it is an important part of the movie, particularly because the film is ultimately about Mercury, there should have been less on this aspect and more of the actual band together.
From the impression the movie gave, the other band members were hardly his friends, much less his family. While they had their fights, the film made it feel as though the only reason they were even a band in the first place was because the original bandmates could not find anyone better.
Of course, despite the fact the storyline did not reach its full potential, I was very impressed with how well it was crafted. The loneliness of being a misfit amplified by being famous was well conveyed, as were all of the emotions Mercury was feeling as he traveled throughout the movie.
The music was great, though of course, how could it not be? The experience of seeing this film in theaters is one you will not regret if you like Queen even in the slightest.
While there were some downsides to the film, the actual experience of seeing this film was phenomenal. The movie made me listen to Queen in a whole new light, particularly because of how it showed the band members making music. Each new lyric or rift was progressive. With Queen came a tide of change and experimentation because they were forcing themselves to push forward in the music industry.
Also, the level of engagement from Mercury and the band to the crowd they were performing for was something I had never considered, and now, I cannot play “We Will Rock You” without imagining an audience packed with people stomping to the beat.
Sure, this movie could have done better, but this is always the case. It is incredibly difficult for something to live up to its full potential, especially in the case of capturing Mercury’s presence.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a film people can react to, whether through laughter or singing along. Because of this, though there are both ups and downs to seeing this movie, it is definitely worth paying for the theater ticket.