By: Alexandra Rodobolski
This post contains spoilers.
If you’ve been on the internet at all in the past 48 hours, you would know that Bohemian Rhapsody, the Queen biopic, was just released. The film’s opening weekend grossed $141.7 million worldwide, making it a wildly successful release for its genre, despite mixed reviews from critics.
Though Bohemian Rhapsody received only a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I’d have to say this film is nearly perfect. The emotional deep dive into the life of Freddie Mercury and the pulsating rock and roll of Queen’s music creates a film that super-fans and music lovers can appreciate. The pressure of having to recreate the story of someone who was beloved by so many was certainly overcome by the film’s creators.
Bohemian Rhapsody offers a look behind closed doors that fans have been highly anticipating. It follows the band from conception to super-stardom, the trials and tribulations of their musical talent being doubted, and band members falling out and coming together once again. The detail put into the story shows that the creators took great care in consulting the people closest to Freddie, even having Mercury’s soul mate, Mary Austin, read and approve the script. Though she’s kept herself distant from the project, knowing that the one person who knew Mercury best thought that the film did his story justice takes the movie to the next level.
The film stars Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, whose performance was nothing short of stunning. Even if all else failed, Malek’s performance would surely have the project be one that was Oscar-worthy. His transformation into the Queen frontman has rightfully received praise from Mercury’s bandmates and family.
If one thing should be critiqued, it would be the pacing at the beginning of the film. For a biopic, it offers almost no context of how the band came to fame. It seems as though they go from performing in a dingy dive bar, to rocking out on the BBC. Though, with a run time of around 2.5 hours, it’s understandable that some details could not be included.
The film ends with a flawless rendition of Queen’s legendary performance at the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in 1985. This emotionally charged performance has you on the edge of your seat begging that Rami Malek just recreates the entire set. I’m convinced that the creators must have sat down and watched the actual live performance at least one hundred times to get every frame perfect, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
Aside from the story’s choppy beginning, the film’s beautiful adaptation, gorgeous cinematography and larger-than-life performances earn a 9.5/10 rating from me. I’d highly recommend you see this film if you haven’t yet. Whether you’ve been a long time fan of Queen or just enjoy the power of music in general, the celebration of Freddie Mercury is one you can’t miss out on.