Bohemian Rhapsody

This review may contain spoilers!

This film is a touching letter of love to Freddie Mercury and a tribute to the family that is Queen. I would give Bohemian Rhapsody an 8/10.

This film focuses upon the life of Freddie Mercury, how the band Queen came to be, how it all fell apart and how it came right again for the 1985 LiveAid concert. Freddie Mercury as a character is so fascinating to watch because he is an outsider almost exclusively his whole life, you want to feel sorry for him until he very curtly reminds you there isn't time for such trivialities. Mercury's story is one of epic music and ambition, in which he sees the future he wants and actively seeks it out. The family aspect of Queen is at the heart of the film, with the band members squabbling like siblings but also staying loyal to one another in a manner you don't often see in musical biopics. Freddie spirals into a manic downfall during this film, for a long time he lives a life of debauchery as he struggles with aspects of his identity (both sexual and otherwise). The editing for the film has some nice flair, the crossfades used to show the impact Queen's music had on each other and their audience was inspired. The soundtrack for the film is incredible to no one's great surprise; it was fascinating how a number of songs felt like characters in their own right, 'Killer Queen', 'Love of my Life', 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'We will Rock You' and 'Another One Bites the Dust' invoke some of the best scenes in the feature.

Rami Malek, who played Freddie Mercury, does an exceptionally good job as the leading protagonist; Malek embraces the self-assured confidence of Mercury while subtly portraying the moving loneliness of the character. Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy and Joseph Mazzello, who played Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon respectively, are together the heart of the film' these three have such charisma and chemistry with one another and Malek that you grow immersed in their journey together. Tom Hollander, who played Jim Beach, at first comes across as a dry role with a bit of wit; yet in a few short scenes, you see Hollander's role form a heartfelt bond with the band. Aaron McCusker, who played Jim Hutton, is a very grounded role in the chaos of the second act; McCusker has a calm and reasonable manner that makes for a nice counterweight to the wild extravagance of Malek's Mercury.

However, the best performance came from Mike Myers, who played Ray Foster. Myers is a surprising pick for some and it was a tough call between him and Malek if I'm being honest. Yet while it took a few scenes to see past Malek and perceive Mercury, Mike Myers was this gruelling music exec from the go. This character was decidedly blunt and rude, with every line traded often sharp and decisive. Myers crafts an antagonist who is smug and mean, yet portrayed as a figure others laugh at and not with. This is a character who brings out one of my favourite scenes of the film and it's a treat to see Myers onscreen again.

The main protagonist takes some getting used to at first, Freddie Mercury seems bizarre and he isn't very easy to empathise with initially. The first act isn't at all helped by the fact it tries to rush through, the success of Queen and marriage between Freddie and Mary seems to happen in the blink of an eye. Bohemian Rhapsody is quite comfortable playing to the formula of past biopics, taking familiar tropes and playing them out beat for beat. It's a successful move but makes for a predictable narrative. The cinematography attempts some unique things in a couple of scenes but ultimately is quite simple to watch, there aren't many creative shots and scenes often have a very simple look to them.

Lucy Boynton, who played Mary Austin, feels like a subplot awkwardly tacked on to the film; Malek and Boynton have a rather boring chemistry, though the pair certainly tries their best. Aidan Gillen, who played John Reid, is a great actor who had the misfortune of getting cast in one of the most boring side characters of the film; there is just no personality here and Gillen fast becomes wallpaper. Allen Leech, who played Paul Prenter, is a two-dimensional antagonist, to say the least; Leech's character is slimy and manipulative but offers nothing when it comes to substance. Meneka Das and Ace Bhatti, who played Jer Bulsara and Bomi Bulsara respectively, give the most generic performance in the film; the distant parent trope is rather played out and little is done to make this depiction stand out.