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Gwilym Lee as Brian May, left, Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury and Joe Mazzello as John Deacon in a scene from the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody". (Alex Bailey, Twentieth Century Fox)
"RHAPSODY BOHEMIEN" – 3 stars – Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Lee Gwilym, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello; PG-13 (thematic elements, suggestion material, content and language of the drug); in general version
Queen was a classic rock band known for its epic, larger-than-life stage anthems, and for the better and for worse, Bryan Singer's "Bohemian Rhapsody" looks like a rock act that shakes the arena on the big screen.
Singer's effort oscillates between two jobs. Structurally, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is the story of Queen, but more specifically that of Freddie Mercury, Queen's charismatic singer. It may seem that these tasks are identical, but this is not the case.
After a quick prologue evoking the grand spectacle ahead, the story begins in 1970 at London Heathrow Airport, where a young Mercury (Rami Malek) works as a porter. In his spare time, he haunts a neighborhood club and it is here that he meets a local college group called Smile.
One night, Mercury finally has the courage to approach the group, just in time to find out that their singer has moved on to improve things. The remaining members of Smile – a dental student drummer named Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) and an aspiring guitarist-astrophysicist named Brian May (Gwilym Lee) – initially mocked Mercury's colossal offer. But they quickly learn that Mercury's bravado is equal to his talent and that the story of the rags to riches is launched.
The first half of "Bohemian Rhapsody" is fun and rhythmic. We watch the band members shed their old names for new nicknames (Mercury is a stage name) and gradually establish themselves as one of the emerging bands. In the mid-1970s, Mercury met a humble retail employee, Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton), who became her muse for fashion and music, ultimately inspiring Queen's success, "Love of My." Life ".
This track is just one example of what Singer has used Queen's hits as narrative road markers. During the 134 minutes of the film, we also receive stories behind the scenes for radio broadcasters such as "Another One Bites the Dust", "We Will Rock You" and, of course, "Bohemian Rhapsody", which plays decisive role in the group's career. (Fans will appreciate Mike Myers 'performance as EMI leader Ray Foster through this stretch, as Myers' use of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in "Wayne's World" from 1992 brought the band back to the general public in the early 1990s.)
But if the biopic often gives the visual impression of Queen's greatest hits, the film also tries to do for Mercury what "Ray" of 2004 did for Ray Charles and what "Walk the Line" of 2005 did for Johnny Cash. "Bohemian Rhapsody" always feels a step back from these high level biopics – maybe because their subjects were solo artists? – but as the story progresses, we see Mercury's difficulties with her sexuality shifting from a substantive preoccupation to a question that threatens the continuity of the group.
Mercury's homosexuality is one of the major concerns of the second half of the film, while the main singer attempts unsuccessfully to balance his excesses of rock'n'roll with his sincere desire to maintain a semblance of relationship with Austin. The PG-13 rating of the film is a bit of a surprise, especially in the context of traditional hedonistic rock culture, but in terms of sexual, gay and straight content, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is limited to implicit encounters and a few scenes from s & # 39; embrace
Although Mercury's identity as the leader of the gay group is unique among the classic rock bands, it is still interesting to note the familiar trajectory of the group itself, which started modestly and is hoisted to the rank of superstarom. threaten to spoil everything.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" does not really look like a special VH1 "Behind the Music" show, but its hasty style may leave some thirsty fans wanting more depth, whether for Mercury's personal story or for the group itself. Mercury is clearly the center of attention, knowing that May has a background in astrophysics, suggesting that there is much more potential to exploit.
The end product may compromise both sides of the equation, but fans will probably still appreciate what Singer has put on the screen. As a musical biopic, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is ultimately more interested in the greatest hits than by extracting deep cuts.
Explained note: "Bohemian Rhapsody" systematically deals with sexual themes, although its content on the screen is more implicit, mainly limited to a kiss. Note PG-13 is also derived from vulgar language and vulgar dialogue; duration: 134 minutes.
Joshua Terry is an award-winning writer and photographer who also teaches English composition for Weber State University. He has written weekly film reviews for Deseret News since 2013.
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