Rocketmen
...but will film be a hit? First review inside
SIR Elton John’s fantasy biopic is named after the song that launched him to global superstardom in 1972.
But is Rocketman – a work of beautifully blurred reality – equally as out of this world?
And is it as good as the Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury film, Bohemian Rhapsody? In a word, almost.
Following in the footsteps of Bohemian Rhapsody was never going to be easy but, thankfully, executive producer Elton had its director, Dexter Fletcher, on hand to help create an incredible feast for the eyes.
However, taking it through the realms of fantasy – and this really is a fantasy drama – makes you question what really went on.
One thing we do know is this is Elton’s fantasy. The film traces his life from six until rehab in his early 40s – and what sets it apart from the Queen biopic is Elton exposing his uglier side.
The film attributes many of his emotional issues to having cold parents. It feels like an epitaph to a man haunted by his childhood – and then one to a man who learns to
forgive. In a rehab session, Elton says: “Real love is hard to come by, so you learn to cope without it.”
Taron Egerton captures Elton perfectly and arrives in the tale in the 60s for Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting, a big musical number that goes from a pub to a fairground with dozens of colourful extras and dancers.
The 29-year-old also has screen chemistry with Jamie Bell, who plays songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. The film explores his sexuality in a charged scene with manager John Reid, played by Richard Madden.
But what it demonstrates most is Elton was never going to give up on stardom – even if it meant morphing into an angry caricature of himself. He says: “I started acting like a c*** in 1975... I just forgot to stop.”
But now it seems he has learned to love himself.
Maybe. Just a bit.