Review of Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) by Kacper — 01 Dec 2018

Rami Malek is extraordinary in this biopic of the life of Freddie Mercury the one-of-a-kind frontman of the group Queen. I was blown away by the sheer enthusiasm of this movie which doesn't shirk from portraying the demons of this complex man.

I don't know enough about Mercury's real life story to judge how many liberties have been taken with his story and know that there has been some flack from some quarters about changes and edits to his life.

as a movie though, this, for me has it all and it is perfectly crafted. It is funny, tragic, inspiring and uplifting. Backed by a stunning score of Queen hit songs that literally had everyone in the cinema singing along.

Mercury is portrayed as a strutting, bold, peacock of a man touched by genius. A true showman who lost his way and came to realise that true friendship, love and comradeship are needed to allow his talent to flourish.

Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy and Joseph Mazzello play the other members of the band and they portray the quirky, odd and downright eccentric bandmates wonderfully. Queen were a truly iconic band who broke the mould of popular music.

The film shows them as a group of individuals, each of whom had the vision, strength and foresight to know they made magic for millions of fans the world over. This movie is a breathless, punch the air with joy spectacle that helps the viewer understand a little of the magic of the man that fronted such a unique and influential band.

It will make you cry at the thought of the loss of such a wonderful performer but I am grateful to have his legacy which will endure and ensure he will be forever young.