Film Review: Bohemian Rhapsody Shows The Humanity To Being A Star
Directed by Bryan Singer and writer by Anthony McCarter, Bohemian Rhapsody is, by far, one of the best films of the year. Rami Malek engulfs you as Freddie Mercury, and feels so immersed in his role that you think you are actually watching Mercury’s life from beginning to end. Yet, in a world that, at times, can focus on how tragically the Queen frontman passed, this movie celebrates how triumphantly he lived.
Not many know that Mercury was an immigrant of Indian origins, but, from the film’s beginning, the racism he faced was prevalent. Working at Heathrow Airport, he moves the luggage, takes the bus, hears his father discuss “good deeds,” and ends his day dreaming of the stage. Mercury feels so grounded in his star-power, even when he is not a star yet. Once again, Malek shines in capturing Mercury’s larger than life personality and heart. He was a man that loved life, people, and music with every inch of his being, but his weakness was receiving and accepting love back.
Cosmically generous and open, throughout the film you grow protective of Freddie; seeing that he makes massive mistakes because he is so easily trusting and eager to connect. Hence, part of Freddie’s downfall comes in the form of Allen Leech’s Paul Prenter. Leech is exceptional as Paul because every time he came onscreen I could hear an, “Ugh! This Guy!” For a man that could not spark a thought, he sure latched onto Freddie’s genius. Thus, Bohemian Rhapsody unequivocally makes him the “villain,” and turns him into Machiavelli obsessed with keeping Freddie solely as his own. Unfortunately, Freddie confused that possessiveness for love, and dwindles away from the family that truly cares for him: his band.
Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor, Gwilym Lee at Brian May, and Joseph Mazzello as John Deacon are absolutely wonderful. They are so charming and down to earth in their chemistry that they helped to build how much love was between this band, and teach a powerful lesson for rising artists. When you are picking your band, you are not solely picking a group musicians, you are picking your brothers. They say friends are the family you choose, and Bohemian Rhapsody celebrates this truth by presenting the formation of Queen as a group of extremely talented, daring misfits that genuinely liked each other. So often in music films, there is a focus or, at least, a revelation that the band did not get along, which, of course, there were ruptures in this band. Yet, Queen’s members really did like each other, which makes their journey together both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
The reason you hate Paul is because you love Queen. Fame, drugs, and PAUL murk Mercury’s mindfulness by preying on his loneliness.Yet, life is a journey, and Bohemian Rhapsody presents Freddie’s as one where a man of genius learned to be wise. Many times we ask ourselves whether we are loved, but, by the end of the film, Freddie Mercury learns that such a question is not more important than this other one: Am I loving? For all that we question how and if our “family” loves us, we do not challenge ourselves enough to see whether we are investing and showing our love for them, which is a truth you see in Freddie’s bond with Mary (Lucy Boynton). Boynton’s Mary is sweet, loyal, and unconditional. The truly present Mary and Freddie as soulmates; two people who see the other’s insanity as divine poetry.
I think my favorite part of Bohemian Rhapsody is that it, oddly, has a happy ending. Admittedly, you go into the film thinking about AIDS, and how this terrible disease took so many wonderful human beings, like Freddie Mercury. While in this era, we combat more to fade out such cruelty, the 80’s and 90’s were a horrifying time of viciousness towards the LGBT community and this disease, of which Bohemina Rhapsody does give the press a beautiful image. Reporters are invasive and humiliating towards Freddie; eager to show that one of the most exceptional rock voices of all time was a schlep who could not get his life together. Yet, one of Bohemian Rhapsody’s themes is how a star remembers his own flawed humanity, which is why the movie gets a happy ending.
Using the Live Aid concert, Bohemian Rhapsody encapsulates Freddie’s life and growth, as a person. By the end, he, finally, sees how loved he is, and owns his star-power more than ever. This scene is so invigorating, you will find yourself youtubing the actual concert with how vivid and bombastic it feels. Musically, Bohemian Rhapsody soars in making Queen’s concerts feel seismic in energy and fun, but their Live Aid shows hold, bakes, and eats the ENTIRE CAKE! By ending the film around this one “hoorah/ we are family” moment, the movie amps how visually, sonically, and humanly stunning it is. Ultimately, it is a reminder that no star shines alone; Freddie Mercury rose because he had good band behind him. Bohemian Rhapsody comes out in theaters on November 2.
