The Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, hit UK cinemas on the 24th October and I finally got round to seeing it whilst at home over reading week. Unfortunately, it seems to have disappointed critics, but I feel like on the whole, people wanted the film to be something it wasn’t going to be. It manages to balance celebrating Queen’s music and their history whilst grappling with the life of the legendary Freddie Mercury fairly well.
Rami Malek as Mercury is simply incredible. You can hardly fault the actors playing the rest of Queen, (Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor, Joseph Mazzello as John Deacon and Gwilym Lee as Brian May) but their performance pales in comparison to Malek’s. His electric charisma truly captures Mercury’s personality and his ability to match the frontman’s mannerisms is uncanny. The final scene, which depicts the 1985 Live Aid concert is awe-inspiring as Malek struts around the stage, flamboyant as ever.
The film seems to treat Mercury’s life with particular sensitivity; his sexuality is hinted at with a multitude of longing stares at other men and his HIV diagnosis is shown through a short montage, revealing what audiences are already aware of. The issue with the film seems to be the lack of drama, despite the apparent abundance of it during the creation. Original director Bryan Singer was replaced by Dexter Fletcher long into the production process. However, there’s only so much scandal one can force into a relatively scandal-free rise to fame.
Of course, there is a lot that the film could have further explored, but doesn’t. After all, it’s about Queen, not Freddie Mercury and there’s only so much you can fit into two hours — maybe this simply proves the demand for a Mercury biopic. There are obvious expectations for a film involving the life of Freddie Mercury, but the outrageous parties aren’t exactly appropriate for a rated 12 film, which arguably begs the question, why on earth should a film about a rock and roll band be a 12? Overall, it’s a safe, feel-good film, an easy watch. But, if you’re looking for a truly wild insight into the private life of Freddie, this might not be the film for you.
Watch the final trailer here: