Fewer words can be said to be truer than “Queen” is one of the most legendary bands of all time.” From “We are the Champions” to “Under Pressure,” there are few and far people in between that will have not jammed out to a Queen song in their lives. For many years, rumors floated that audiences would see a biopic focused on the life of Freddie Mercury and Queen itself. Eight years later, Bohemian Rhapsody has arrived. Despite being a production nightmare, Bohemian Rhapsody brings to life the complex life of Freddie Mercury in one of 2018’s best performances by Rami Malek and likely the best of his career.
Plagued by a bevy of production issues that kept stalling the release of the film, including the firing of Sacha Baron Cohen who was set to play Mercury before Malek. At first hearing Cohen would be attached to the project, I thought that’s a great choice. He looks like him and could elicit the same energy. After his departure, I just wasn’t sure who else could play Mercury in the same way but boy was I proven wrong. Watch this film if not for Queen but to see Malek shine as Mercury. Cohen later stated on the Howard Stern show that his departure had to do over project disagreements with the band as to how certain aspects of Freddie’s life should be shown. Cohen stated, “There are amazing stories about Freddie Mercury. The guy was wild. I mean he was living an extreme lifestyle. There are stories of… little people with plates with cocaine on their heads walking around a party. A member of the band, I won’t say who, he said, ‘This is such a great movie because it’s got such an amazing thing that happens in the middle of the movie, “I go, ‘What happens in the middle of the movie?’ He goes, ‘Freddie dies.’” Scratch that! I don’t think a biopic would have worked anywhere nearly as well if they killed off our protagonist in the middle of the film while going on to feature the rest of the band.
Fast forward from Cohen’s departure and Rami Malek is now on board but production issues didn’t stop there. Director Bryan Singer had been accused of sexual assault not to mention the onset friction between Singer and Malek. Fox was originally apprehensive about hiring Singer, and those apprehensions were met with a dose of reality when Rami Malek complained to the studio after the two got into a heated argument. The Hollywood Reporter stated, “Tensions escalated into an on-set altercation between Singer and his star (by all accounts, one of the nicest actors in the business),” the magazine reports. “With reports of a piece of electrical equipment thrown by Singer (though not at anyone), a complaint — apparently from Malek — prompted Fox to dispatch several execs to London.”
After Singer was fired, Dexter Fletcher came on board to finish the project. With all these issues during production, it’s a shock that Bohemian Rhapsody is as entertaining as it was. For the most part, the film is a typical by the books biopic. From Mercury’s parents who disapprove of his love of music, to the drug-fueled downfall of its lead, and ultimate “happy” ending reunion, Bohemian Rhapsody does not take many risks. The lack of risks, however, does not eliminate the entertainment this film provides its audience. Where the film strives away from its conventional nature is in its opening. Instead of focusing on Mercury’s youth, we see Mercury introducing himself to Brian May and Roger Taylor moments after the two bandmates have been abandoned by their original lead singer. While that moment may be too on the nose, I did enjoy the fact that we jump right into the creation of Queen.
From there, we are treated to moments of the band’s greatest hits. If you’ve ever wondered why Mercury holds a broken mic stand, you find out here. Freddie Mercury is one of this generation’s most transcendent rock stars. A man who left an indelible mark on the music industry that is still felt today. It is safe to say that anyone who took the task of playing Mercury had quite the job of ahead of him.
Malek’s portrayal is 2018’s most enthralling and mesmerizing performance. Malek not only captures the essence of Mercury’s stage presence in concert scenes but also his true loneliness in the quiet moments of the film. Many stories have been told about Mercury’s promiscuity throughout his life. Rhapsody pulls the curtain back and shows that despite the fame, men, drugs, and parties, Mercury never truly found love outside of his sole friendship/relationship with Mary. No scene expresses that sense of loneliness more than the moment Mercury hears the news that changes his life forever alone.
Malek’s performance seems like a sure-fire lock to not only an Oscar nomination, but a potential BAFTA and Golden Globe win. The supporting players: Gwilym Lee as Brian May, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor and Joseph Mazzello as John Deacon, were strong and their chemistry was palpable onscreen throughout the film
Bohemian Rhapsody plays like a greatest hits of the bands most popular songs culminating with a breathtaking reenactment of the infamous Live Aid performance from 1985. The final 15 minutes feel like the perfect stamp on this film. Instead of focusing on Mercury’s final moments, it looks at one of the band’s defining contributions to not just music but society as a whole.
The film, similarly to 2017’s The Greatest Showman, is poised to make a splash at the box office this holiday season. Bohemian Rhapsody is a must watch for Queen fans and music fans around the world.
