Bohemian Rhapsody Review

Intro

Bohemian Rhapsody is a musical biopic about Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek), his personal life, the struggles he went through and the formation of the band Queen. In this Bohemian Rhapsody review you will find out if this movie Will Rock You or Bites the Dust.

Positive

The movie wisely focusses on the most important aspects of Freddie’s life and the band’s performances. Clocking in at just over two hours, not everything could be handled. The story luckily doesn’t shy away from the controversial parts of Freddie’s life. Even if the movie is PG-13, they present you with a clear picture of Freddie’s inner struggles with sexuality, his loneliness and arguments with members of the band.

The biggest standout here is actor Rami Malek, who gives a near perfect performance as Freddie Mercury. It doesn’t feel like somebody is impersonating a musical icon, on the contrary, Rami Malek completely disappears into this role and you just see Freddie. The look in his eyes, little hand movements and the way he dances around the stage all feel natural. This performance has been giving praise throughout the world, and might give Rami Malek his first Academy Awards nomination for Best Actor, one he rightfully deserves.

With the focus on Malek’s performance as Freddie Mercury, its easy to overlook the other great actors and actresses that made this movie work. The other members of the band were perfectly cast, it’s almost scary how much they look like there real counterparts. They bring there own mix of humor and drama into the story, with there interactions and arguments being standouts. Next to all the great acting is a movie that gives the viewers a little peak behind the curtain. We get to see how iconic songs like Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You and Another One Bites the Dust were created and where the inspiration came from. Speaking of music, the movie leads up to a spectaculair final concert in 1985, called Live Aid. A perfect reconstruction of the bands most famous concert ever played. Featuring four songs, this finale will make you sing along, smile and maybe shed a tear.

Negative

Unfortunately, like with most biopics, not everything in Bohemian Rhapsody is historically accurate. Some events have been shifted around a little so it could be included in the plot. For the die hard fans this could get a little distracting, but it doesn’t take alway from the overal experience of watching the movie. Because of the runtime, some things earlier on in the movie doesn’t get enough attention and we keep skipping forward in time, without some time to breath or take it all in. The movie simply wanted to get straight to the point, but with better pacing this problem could have been fixed, although the end product would have been significantly longer.

Conclusion

Bohemian Rhapsody offers one of the best theater experiences of the year. With excellent performances, great dramatic moments and unforgettable music. A love letter to one of the best entertainers who every lived, Freddie Mercury. Who Wants to Live Forever? Queen most certainly will.

Bohemian Rhapsody – 9/10