MIKE WARD’S SMALL SCREEN
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (12)
(Download now, DVD and Blu-ray from Monday)
IT takes diabolical liberties with the facts, the order of events, etc, as fans of the band will confirm.
But there’s so much pure pleasure to be had from this funny, feisty biopic of Queen, revolving around legendary frontman Freddie Mercury, that you’ll gladly overlook such piffling details.
Rami Malek deservedly picked up the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the lead role, portraying one of rock’s true characters (and adding to the Bafta he also won), but credit must also go to Lucy Boynton, putting in a moving performance as Freddie’s devoted friend Mary Austin, and to Gwilym Lee, Joe Mazzello and ex-EastEnder Ben “Peter Beale” Hardy as the other, less flamboyant band members. The DVD and Blu-ray also include the full re-enactment of Queen’s Live Aid performance, not seen in cinemas.
DEPARTURES (12) (Download from Monday) THIS sweet, touching, hugely likeable comedy stars Maisie Williams as Skye, a terminally ill teenager so determined to make the most of the time she’s got left that she’s drawn up her own “to-die list”, full of random stuff she wants to tick off while she still can. Asa Butterfield is Calvin, the hypochondriac pal she persuades to help her make these wishes come true. In doing so, Calvin will hopefully conquer some significant fears of his own, not least of which is chatting up the apparently unattainable Izzy (Nina Dobrev).
SERENITY (15)
(Sky Cinema)
OUT today, both on Sky Cinema and in actual cinemas, this curiously offbeat thriller stars Matthew McConaughey as a fisherman whose ex-wife (played by Anne Hathaway) wants him to bump off her abusive pig of a new husband. Rafael Sayegh plays Patrick, the son they had together, whose role in the story that follows may be stretching plausibility just a smidgen.
BOAR (18)
(Download and DVD) THERE’S a whopping great killer pig on the loose in the Aussie outback. Course there is. Why wouldn’t there be? So can the terrorised locals save their bacon? The cast includes people from Mad Max, Wolf Creek and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. It’s quite gory, funnily enough.