O_163_wem_1360_comp_v003_01,1159 2 -D-G: Gwilym Lee (Brian May), Ben Hardy (Roger Taylor), Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury) and Joe Mazzello (John Deacon) play in Twentyeth Century Foxa. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.(Photo: 20th Century Fox)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – "Bohemian Rhapsody", the biopic of Freddie Mercury / Queen starring Evansville University graduate, Rami Malek, in the lead role, was shown in cinemas on Friday.

While critics of criticism and the film community have been mixed, the popular reaction has not, either; the movie currently shows a considerable 94% audience rating on the popular Rotten Tomatoes review site.

Here are four things you may want to know about "Bohemian Rhapsody" (and its star):

1. Nobody denies Malek's portrait of rock icon Freddie Mercury

While critics have a lot to say about the lack of depth of the film, the lack of intrigue or the whiteness of Mercury's personal life, just about everyone agrees that The portrait of Malek is inspired and worthy of Mercury's legacy.

"He is absolutely brilliant." – Caroline Preece, Den of Geek

"He's going big and bold … But it's the little moments and expressions that really elevate his performance." – Kimber Myers, the playlist

"Begins to engrave this Academy Award." – Tara Brady, the Irish Times

Whatever the criticism of the film, it seems that Malek is on the eve of international celebrity.

TO CLOSE

Rami Malek talks about his favorite Queen songs and explains how adrenaline has helped channel Freddie Mercury into the new biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody".
UNITED STATES TODAY & # 39; HUI

2. The highlights are really, really great

This is the reenactment of the legendary Queen 's Queen Aid 1985 show that has garnered more praise than any.

The scene was a laborious reenactment of the original show, going as far as scaling up the scale of the former Wembley stadium in London. It serves as both the musical centerpiece of the film and a dramatic climax.

The recreation of Bohemian Rhapsody's Queen Aid Live is the highlight of the movie.
– Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

This Live Aid sequence captures in a fascinating way what is considered both a highlight of the live rock performance and a historic moment in Queen's career that makes it worthwhile to shoot and see the film.
– Alonso Duralde, The wrap

It's a fan film that will make the audience dance in its seats. I can see the long-term success of The Greatest Showman last year at the beginning of this year.
– Ashley Menzel, We Live Entertainment

3. The film plays fast and badly with the facts

Like almost any film or television production based on real events, certain freedoms are taken for a dramatic effect.

For example, in the film, Mercury and its band members quarrel and reconcile only when Mercury informs them of its AIDS diagnosis just before the Live Aid concert.

But, in fact, according to her closest friends, Mercury was not diagnosed with AIDS until at least 1987. The other members of Queen were informed at some point before the recording of Queen's latest album with Mercury, 1991. Insinuation.

The film also suggests that the band had been split before Live Aid, mainly because of Mercury's insistence on his solo career. In fact, the band was simply pausing while guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, as well as Mercury, were all pursuing solo and / or secondary projects.

DF-11526_R – "Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury) and Gwilym Lee (Brian May) play the lead role in BOHEMI RHAPSODY of Twentieth Century Fox. Photo credit: Alex Bailey. (Photo: Photo Credit: Alex Bailey)

4. Some have accused the filmmakers of & # 39;gentle wash& # 39;

Defenders and LGBTQ allies accused the film of downplaying Mercury's legacy and its impact on homosexuals in the 1980s, claiming that his lifestyle had been ignored and sanitized in order to appeal to the masses .

Malek, for his part, told USA Today that he "totally understood" the critics and that he would have preferred to delve deeper into Mercury's personal life, be it sexual or otherwise.

However, Mercury himself was very private, refusing to talk much about his personal life in the press amidst a mountain of speculation about his sexuality and illness over the years.

It is also known that Queen's surviving members are fiercely protective of Mercury's privacy, even after her death, and that they have also played an important role in the production of the film. It is unlikely that we will know what was left out of the film or what the motives for these omissions were.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" currently plays in Showplace Cinema cinemas in Evansville, Newburgh, Henderson and Princeton, as well as in the AMC 16 of Evansville.

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