I have always had an interest in music. It helped me dealing with family issues, it has got me through many hospital visits and it helps with my depression. The first pieces of vinyl I owned was Tubular Bells by Mike Old field…and the absolutely amazing Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.
An amazing band that constantly evolved with one album sounding very different to the next. I don’t think I have met a person who hasn’t heard a Queen song (despite Freddie dying in 1991) or not really liking them….so when I heard that Bohemian Rhapsody was being made a was both intreagued and worried. Would they oversensationalize Freddie and his sexuality? Would they pretty much ignore everything else about the band?
Damn straight they would.
It appears in this movie that Queen pretty much compromised of Freddie and that was it with the occasional cameo from Roger, John and Brian. This is really frustrating as these guys are all amazing artists in their own right and have done solo projects to prove such (although John Deacon not as much). As much as there is no denying that Freddie was the quintessential voice for almost every song, you should never ignore the rest of the talent.
Despite this though and several historical errors the movie was a good watch and kinda got people the general gist of the birth of Queen and how much tension there was behind the scenes….the actors used looked incredibly good for the parts which was really good, and Rami Malek was amazing as Freddie, he just seemed to know how to do everything just right and if you look at the Live Aid performance in the movie and compare it to the actual Live Aid performance, it is quite incredible and Malek has it almost move for move, and I have nothing but praise for that and I think he deserves every award he gets for this performance (although I hope not Razzies!!).
Historical blips aside the one huge gripe I have with this movie is it stops at Live Aid, which is 1985 and just before potentially one of thier biggest selling albums A Kind of Magic. They still have 5 years more of Queen story to tell, and I’m quite annoyed they didn’t go right to the end. I also don’t like that they only really centred on Freddie as there was so much that Roger, John and Brian did as band members and solo projects.
That aside though, if you are a Queen fan you should enjoy it. It has the music, the history….and a great in-joke said by the character played by Mike Myers. All in all, not a bad watch.
Bohemian Rhapsody is rated 12A and in cinemas now (and there’s a singalong version too!!)