“Bohemian Rhapsody” Movie Review
“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a 2018 semi-biographical musical drama about Freddie Mercury and the band Queen, directed by Bryan Singer, from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, produced by Garaham King and Queen’s long-time manager Jim Beach.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” presents the journey of Freddie Mercury and Queen from penniless boys performing gigs at college bars to the heights of the 1985 Live Aid concert and the most well-known rock band of all time. The movie begins in England when eccentric British Parsi student Farrokh Bulsara meets amateur musicians Brian May and Roger Taylor (John Deacon joined them later) in 1970s.
Even though the movie is mostly focused on Freddie’s personality rather than on Queen as a band, a lot of heart was put in it. Brian May and Roger Taylor helped make the film, and close friends such as Freddie’s personal assistant Peter Freestone were consulted.
Gwilym Lee as Brian May, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor, Joseph Mazello as John Deacon portray a close band: surely they had lots of disputes, however always supported one another. Lucy Boynton as Mary Austin and Aaron McCusker as Jim Hutton expanded the idea of Freddie’s “Love of My Life”. Allen Leech as Freddie’s personal manager Paul Prenter, who filled his life with drugs and gay parties and later betrayed him, obviously takes an integral part as well. We also cannot ignore the final pieces of the puzzle — Freddie’s father Bomi Bulsara (Ace Bhatti), mother Jer (Meneka Das), and sister Kashmira (Priya Blackburn). The movie makes us dive deep into emotions because of the warmth of its relationships: a close-knit family (maybe not from the very beginning of the movie), a devoted girlfriend, and band members who feel more like brothers.
What’s more, the movie shows us how Queen composed some of its best-selling hits, especially the leading song “Bohemian Rhapsody” (which is the most downloaded song of all time, by the way). It’s fascinating to catch a glimpse of how musical geniuses worked together.
And last but not least, one should watch it for the best part — the remake of the band’s iconic Live Aid performance. I admire how they truly recreated the stage vibe of Live Aid: camera work makes one feel that one is there. The Pepsi paper cups and beer cups that were on the piano during Live Aid — it’s exactly the same amount of cups and exactly what was always on a piano when Freddie performed. Also, before performing at Live Aid, Freddie told his family he’d blow them a kiss. In the movie in the middle of the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” (just as the real Freddie did) when he gets to the line “… as if nothing really matters”, he looks at the crowd and then at the camera and blows a kiss. And finally, just pay attention to how accurately Rami makes faces at the camera during the performance (again, just as the real Freddie did).
https://youtu.be/8z6wJHPhJUM (if you knew how hard I sob every time I rewatch these moments).
Rami threw himself headfirst into this role and immersed himself in it by reading and watching videos and talking to as many people as he could who knew Freddie personally. He took piano and singing lessons, he got a dialect coach and a movement coach and watched interviews with Freddie’s mother, so he could integrate an Indian accent with a British one. He even wore fake teeth in his daily life in order to get used to them. He lived and breathed every aspect of Freddie Mercury.
The way he walks along the stage, that bright confidence, that royal arrogance, that attractive madness — Rami Malek did it with elegance. It was like he was actually feeling and singing as he owned the songs. The way he drags the mic and those iconic postures of Freddie Mercury are perfectly played by him.
And every time he says “Darling” — it gives goosebumps!
Rami was willing to show through himself all sides of the singer, not just that flamboyant side which most of the public has seen or heard about. Rami was interested in portraying the humanity in Freddie, that lonely man beneath the stage persona. It speaks volumes about the actor, doesn’t it?
As for me, it’s 10 out of 10 as the movie fills us with nostalgia for Queen (even though I’ve never heard them playing and singing together with my own ears and I’ll never be able to, unfortunately) and for time when people were ready to come together globally and listen to really good music. It’s definitely worth watching as it’s full of the most recognisable songs of all time by the most famous British rock band. I love the way the cast rounds it up with a genuine warmth and wholeheartedness that can be felt from the screen. In spite of some chronological inaccuracies and fictional moments, I can feel Freddie Mercury’s heart beating throughout the entire movie, and that’s why “Bohemian Rhapsody” will always be one of my favourite motion pictures of all time.
