Rated PG-13 | 134 mins.
Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aiden Gillen, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers
Queen is hands-down one of the most influential bands of all time with Freddie Mercury being one of the best voices in rock and roll ever. Rami Malek had his work cut out for him when he took on the role as the lead singer casting him was a wise decision.
Taking us all the way back to 1970 when Mercury (birth name Farrokh Bulsara), Bohemian Rhapsody is a origin story of sorts and we get a look into the personal life of the late singer. We get to see what he and his band mates' road to fame looked like and how quickly it happened. Also, to find out that the actual song, "Bohemian Rhapsody", was met with mediocre reviews is crazy to think about seeing as it's the most streamed song of the 20th century.
This film is all about Malek's performance. He's phenomenal and the only choice when it comes to filling in Mercury's shoes. It's already hard enough to play a musician, but to play a real musician is a tall order. Malek completely transformed and stepped out of his comfort zone for this role and his hard work is noticed. If you've seen him in Mr. Robot, you'll know that this is a leap. He was able to actually turn into Freddie Mercury by learning his mannerisms, how he performed, how he sang, and how he played. I wouldn't be surprised if he received an Oscar in March.
The film is a concert all on its own with one hit after the other and it's always a treat to see how they come together, piece by piece. The climactic Live Aid performance was an incredible feat and it's almost unbelievable that that was the first thing shot for this film. If you're not singing along, even a little bit, or stomping to the beat to "We Will Rock You", then did you even watch Bohemian Rhapsody? ★★★★
★★★★★ Classic | ★★★★ Excellent | ★★★ Good | ★★ Fair | ★ Poor