At one point about a third of the way through “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the new biopic about Freddie Mercury and Queen, a record producer, upset at the band trying to push the film’s title track states “Mark my words, no one will play Queen!” Now this is a line that the producer probably didn’t say, put into the film to give a fun winking nod to the audience. And it’s a perfect way to encapsulate the film as a whole.
This is a movie not particularly enamored with telling a deep and exquisitely detailed story of the life and success of the eponymous rock band Queen, and its equally eponymous lead singer Freddie Mercury. Some moments are clearly truncated to fit the constraints of a two-hour film; Freddie’s first introduction to his future bandmates also conveniently explains their backstories because Freddie just happens to know them.
However, while it is a bit annoying for those looking to the film to learn, it allows the film to get the semantics out of the way as quickly as possible and pursue the real goal: tell how some of the band’s iconic songs were made and tell the story of Mr. Mercury in all his flamboyant glory, while having as much rock and roll fun as possible.
That’s where “Rhapsody” finds the most success. Its inherently a film that just wants to celebrate Queen. Audiences won’t walk away with a particularly deep understanding of the band, but they will walk way with the songs in their heads and on their tongues, and the simple thought of “Man, Queen really is a good band.”
So then, if the film’s goal is just to have a good time, does it succeed in that aspect? Well, yes, kind of. If there’s anything that has clearly affected the film’s quality, it’s the behind the scenes shenanigans that affected its shooting and post-production.
To mention it briefly, former director Bryan Singer was fired in Dec. of 2017 after failing to show up to set during shooting, and shortly after this was accused of sexual assault of minors in what many dubbed to be an after effect of the accusations of Harvey Weinstein. Dexter Fletcher (“Eddie the Eagle”) was hired to finish shooting and work through post-production. Per Director’s Guild of America rules though, Singer retained a sole Director’s credit.
This behind the scenes turmoil does show in some elements of the film. It’s first act is sloppily edited and feels as though it condenses too much into too little time, leading to a generally rushed feeling. This is further exacerbated as the latter acts are much slower and better edited and paced. The first act and the last two are so different that it almost feels like whiplash.
Musically, the film is golden. Keep an eye out for the sound editing Oscar come next year, because every performance is pure musical delight. Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”) is clearly having the time of his life gyrating around the stage as Mercury, with the rest of the cast (Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, and Tom Hollander) performing with charisma and glee.
They’re nothing compared to Malek though. His performance as Freddie is simply astonishing. It isn’t method acting, as he doesn’t embody Freddie like he’s copying recordings or photographs. Instead, it feels as though he’s captured the spirit and energy of the rock star and channeled into a vision of the singer that is entrancing to watch.
By the time everything wraps up, its all been done in such a nice neat bow that is seems almost Hallmark Channel-esque. While it doesn’t harm the film’s quality, it does further embolden the movie’s generally clean feel, which is ironic for a star who was anything but.
It also feels as though Mercury gets the most focus so that nothing ill comes out against the other members or so that they aren’t portrayed unfavorably. They always seem to come out of arguments and fights with the upper hand, or at the very least with no one within the band to blame. That may have something to do with actual band members Roger Taylor and Bryan May serving as Creative Consultants, as well as former Queen manager Jim Beach serving as a producer. But that’s probably just a coincidence.
By the time the third act rolls around, and the final twenty-minute-long sequence begins to play, none of the other details matter. In that moment, the plot issues, historical inaccuracies, editing mishaps, and pacing problems all fade away. In that moment, its just Queen and their audience. And its glorious to behold.
Overall, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is an average look at one of the most beloved bands in the world. It’s musically satisfying, and has plenty of rocky pacing and editing. It doesn’t feel particularly extensive in its want to detail the bands history. It’s closer to a summary in a book jacket than an actual detailed description, carried by an incredible performance. It practically screams “Hey, we love Queen. Come take a ride with us and talk about how much we love Queen.” It’s not a biography, more like a celebration. Too bad they skimped on the cake and balloons. 2.5/5
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