Performance fit for a Queen
AS most biopics are, Bohemian Rhapsody is pretty much perfunctory in giving the standard storyline of its subjects. First, the rise to fame, then the problems — not to mention problematic people — that come with success, followed by the fall from grace, and finally the road to redemption.
While this basic approach seems formulaic, perhaps it’s necessary considering the magnitude of the British rock band Queen’s colourful history and its lead vocalist Freddie Mercury’s controversial life.
After all, there is no way for everything that happened to be portrayed in full in a two-hour-plus movie, from when the band first started in 1970 right up to its legendary performance at the benefit concert Live Aid in 1985.
Based on a screenplay by Anthony McCarten and directed by Bryan Singer (who was later replaced by Dexter Fletcher), the film opens with Mercury, played by Rami Malek, getting ready to perform at Live Aid.
The story then rewinds to the time that Mercury is still Farrokh Bulsara, an Indian-British Parsi who works as a luggage handler at Heathrow Airport while studying in a college.
He meets Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) and Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and they establish Queen together with bass guitarist John Deacon (Joseph Mazzello).
Their unique sound catches the ears of the people at EMI Records and a recording contract is soon signed.
Queen’s meteoric rise is well captured in the film, with glimpses of how some of the band’s iconic songs came about and are performed in shows. It is during this time that Queen fans will find themselves humming along to the tunes playing on the big screen.
However, despite being engaged to the love of his life, Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton), Mercury begins to question his sexuality and develops an affair with his personal manager, Paul Prenter (Allen Leech).
Things start to go awry with Queen when Mercury becomes influenced by and solely dependent on Prenter’s advice and direction; instead of listening to the people he calls family.
If you enter the cinema hoping to discover dishy dark truths about Queen and Mercury, you’ll be disappointed as the filmmakers have softened the controversies somewhat.
But if your intention is to enjoy Queen’s classic tunes, then the enjoyment is aplenty.
After all, Queen members May and Taylor are the creative and musical consultants on the film. The film focuses on Mercury though, leaving the other three members in supporting roles.
Malek honours Mercury with an uncanny portrayal of the towering rock star, teeth and all. The actor’s performance is really that good. Lee, Hardy and Mazzello also do well with their take as the other members - with Lee nailing it perfectly as May.
The quintessential Queen fan may balk at the many creative liberties taken in altering the real historical account of the band.
But the band’s greatest 20-minute live performance in the history of rock at Live Aid towards the end of the film may just make one forget one’s grouses with this production. I myself would watch this again simply for that sequence alone! Bohemian Rhapsody is overall an entertaining ride.