Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Taking its title from what has become Queen’s most defining song, Bohemian Rhapsody is a biopic docudrama that examines the professional and personal life of Freddie Mercury, from his humble origins to becoming the eccentric front man for one of the biggest rock acts of the 1970s and 1980s, Queen. Directed by Bryan Singer, the film explores the need for Mercury to be a performer, sometimes spilling over that persona into his personal life, where he struggled with issues regarding his sexuality and the feeling of emptiness that his confusion about it would result in fostering.
Starting with Freddie’s turbulent relationship with his proudly traditional Parsi family in England, who knew him once as his given name of Farrokh Bulsara (“Freddie” was his name since childhood), as they fled and settled as outcasts from the Zanzibar Revolution. Freddie’s father in particular tried to instill values in his seemingly aimless and restless son, but grew disappointed that the headstrong lad seemed to have a different calling. In a mostly fictionalized telling of how Queen was formed, the film shows that Freddie would eventually find an opening in one of his favorite bands, Smile, when their own lead singer left them hanging and likely would unravel their success before it would begin. With their new front man, they would emerge even more successful as Queen. Meanwhile, Freddie finds the love of his life in Mary Austin, but something is amiss in the loving relationship that causes him great conflict in his personal life, which would eventually spill over into his professional life, as rumors of his homosexuality would begin to take hold.
At a bit over two hours to cover a span of a jam-packed life, Bohemian Rhapsody takes many shortcuts and embellishes many conversations in order to hit all of the major touchstones and keep the story moving along at an efficient clip. In other words, Singer’s film offers plenty of breadth but not enough depth to make for a deep and resonantly emotional film without coming into it with all of those feelings for the man and the band’s music, looking for an outlet to pour them into. Questions abound as to what in Freddie’s upbringing brought him to being ready for fronting a rock-and-roll band, and what between them all made them work so phenomenally well as a group of highly eclectic and experimental musicians. We get the highlights, but very little of the feeling that what we’re witnessing within Bohemian Rhapsody is anything more than a fan take on a beloved figure in the world of music.
Rami Malek shines in the role of Mercury, offering the emotional core in his performance that is lacking in the scripting. On occasion, the portrayal of Mercury can seem more caricature than character, perhaps due to the prosthetic teeth, which is meant to portray the extra teeth that Mercury would have that he claims gave him the vocal space to belt out the four-octave range that he did as a singer. It’s that kind of easy narrative shortcut that the film is chock full of, as songs get written on a whim in the moment, and for reasons that are able to be told in one line in a casual conversation, if rationale is given at all.
The supporting cast is fine, though powerhouse performances aren’t asked of them. Mike Myers, who re-popularized Queen in 1992 with his homage to the title song in Wayne’s World, gets a bit part as the head of EMI Records, Ray Foster, zinging in a couple of meta references to that very homage in the context of this film. His character is completely fictionalized, as is most of the scene, with the exception that they were once told that “Bohemian Rhapsody” was too long to be a single by a record exec.
The finale of the film, which is depicted as a mending of the band after a break-up that never actually happened in real life, is a tour de force recreation of their appearance at “Live Aid” in July of 1985, serving as the main climax of the story, despite the fact that the band would continue on for several years afterward. It’s all part of the emphasis on the spectacle of Queen and Freddie Mercury, much more so than the psychology or the deeper exploration of them as living and breathing people, other than Freddie’s own isolation as a lover, a band mate, and a family member. In other words, what we get isn’t so much the real deal, but the pageantry-laden fan version of the band and the events that shaped and defined them, built upon by people who clearly adore them and know that the viewers watching will likely feel the same way.
Bohemian Rhapsody may not give you any more knowledge about who Freddie Mercury truly was and what truly drove him to seek success, but it remains a highly potent piece of entertainment, particularly for fans, both hardcore and casual, of Queen’s music and ability to power up the largest of crowds. Considering the film is about a musician that was all about taking chances and not settling for doing what’s expected, perhaps there is a disappointment involved in a biopic that mostly follows the style that others have done in the past. Nevertheless, the formula will still be good enough for most viewers, who will likely appreciate that Singer, as a filmmaker, doesn’t get in the way of delivering what they really want to see — electrifying musical performances. It’s a recommendable take, and with enough fun and great music to make you want to continue to listen to the band once you leave the theater, but this is a subject that might be better served drilling down into Freddie as a person, or making the story into a mini series, rather than a biopic that whooshes through a life at 5x speed.
Qwipster’s rating: B
MPAA Rated: PG-13 for thematic elements, suggestive material, drug content and language
Running Time: 134 min.
Cast: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aiden Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenplay: Anthony McCarten