One of the two movies that I watched on 14 November 2018 at my local cinema was Bohemian Rhapsody, a biopic of the mega rock group Queen and, especially, of their charismatic lead singer, the late great Freddie Mercury.
In it, Freddie is not so much played as at times almost channelled by American actor Rami Malek in a truly mesmerising performance. His physical resemblance (albeit assisted by a set of prosthetic teeth in order to mirror Freddie's characteristic overbite) and also his mannerisms are truly uncanny – as to a somewhat lesser extent are Gwilym Lee's in the role of Queen's lead guitarist Brian May. British actor/comedian Sacha Baron Cohen had originally been scheduled to play Freddie in this movie, reputedly quitting due to creative differences, but after watching Rami's spellbinding performance, for me at least it is impossible to imagine anyone else in this role. He also did some of his own singing (rather than miming, as certain critics have claimed), augmented by vocal stems from various Queen songs, and also by some vocals from a leading Freddie impressionist.
Directed by Bryan Singer and released in 2018, Bohemian Rhapsody basically tells the story of how Queen came to be, and of Freddie's own life with and apart from the group, up to and climaxing with their sensational performance at the London Live Aid concert on 13 July 1985. Having said that, the movie does play fast and loose at times with reality, portraying the group as having split with Freddie some time prior to a reforming for Live Aid, for instance, when no such split ever occurred; and portraying Freddie receiving his HIV diagnosis shortly before the Live Aid performance, when it was actually some time later.
Speaking of which: certain newspaper critics in their reviews of this film have harshly criticised the decision to end it with Live Aid and not show Freddie's decline into full-blown AIDS and his eventual death from AIDS-related pneumonia in November 1991. Having read an extensive biography of Freddie written by someone who knew him extremely well and revealed the truly harrowing details of how his body was remorselessly and mercilessly ravaged by AIDS (surely one of the most hideous diseases ever to be inflicted upon our species) until at the end little more than an empty, non-functioning husk remained of the man who had once been so vibrant and alive, I personally feel that only a voyeuristic ghoul would want to witness such suffering portrayed on screen. We all know what happened, we don't need to view it – far better and more befitting, surely, to celebrate his life and the joy that it gave to so many, and that is what this excellent movie does.
Some critics have also claimed that it glosses over to the point of virtually not including at all the gay component of Freddie's life, a claim that is so ridiculous and inaccurate that I can't help wondering if they actually saw the same movie as I have done. So, please ignore any newspaper or other media reviews that spout such nonsense, and if you're a fan of Queen and of Freddie himself, but you haven't already seen this fine film, then I heartily recommend that you do so.
Bohemian Rhapsody does full justice to the man, the band, and the legend that he and they became. Moreover, when I wrote the original, shorter version of this review after having watched the movie at the cinema earlier that same day, I said to look out surely for an Oscar nomination as Best Actor for Rami Malek at next year's [2019] Academy Awards ceremony. Sure enough, he not only received a nomination for this award, he actually won it, and deservedly so (the movie also won three other Oscars).
Incidentally, many of you know that I'd been binge-watching season after season of the excellent TV fantasy show Game of Thrones during autumn 2018, but I was not expecting GoT's throaty-voiced Lord Baelish to make an appearance in Bohemian Rhapsody. Yet there he was, same guttural whispers and sideward glances, but now transformed into Queen's manager, John Reid - thanks to both roles being played by actor Aidan Gillen. What a small world it is, to be sure. Also, American vocalist Adam Lambert, who has been lead singer with Queen at various concerts in recent years, made a brief cameo appearance as a truck driver in this movie, but I didn't recognise him at the time. Shucks.
Finally, see for yourself just how spectacular an actor Rami Malek is in the role of Freddie Mercury by clicking here to watch him performing as Freddie in Queen's iconic appearance at Live Aid as portrayed in Bohemian Rhapsody.
And to view a complete listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE!
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