'Bohemian Rhapsody' A Review

Bohemian Rhapsody is a biopic about the band Queen focusing on the late lead singer Freddy Mercury(Rami Malek). The film opens, as many of these do, on a late career come-back-like performance then cuts back to Mercury's youth following his life chronologically and ending on the show in the first scene. He meets two aspiring musicians while he's a baggage handler, the three pick up a bass player, and Queen after some fits and starts is born.

Malek goes for broke in his portrayal of Mercury and its mostly a success, the actor gives the performance tons of energy, tons of charm, and perhaps manages to capture a little bit of Mercury's magnetism. He clearly relishes the role and that interest and joy is contagious. The other band members provide a great foil and balance to Malek with more low-key but engaging turns. Lucy Boynton as Mercury's wife Mary has a bit more of a thankless one-dimensional role but does well with what is given her. Allen Leech as Paul Mercury's personal manager is pretty boring and unbelievable as the mustache twirling manipulative villain of the story.

The story structure is relatively rote, in the tradition of many of the musical biopics of the last fifteen years, visually the film is adequate but not particularly unique. What makes the film rise above of the expansive use of Queen's music, with an interesting and compelling choice to have Malek lip-sync and exclusively use Mercury's vocals. The other thing the film gets right is the spirit of the band, sometimes effectively but somewhat awkwardly explicitly stated in scenes. They are the outcasts, they make positive music, they try to touch people and get them together in a positive way. This message, more than anything, is what makes the film compelling. This is a message we can latch onto in our devise times- one of repeated explicit inclusivity and positivity. Is the film perfect? No. Terribly unique in form or structure? No. Periodically bogged down by manufactured drama? Yes. But at the heart of it is Malek as Mercury and the band, which mostly get along just fine, making music that people love. That's it. And that is what people respond to.

The message of the film is certainly at least a little tainted by the involvement of Bryan Singer. And as consumers of art we must grapple with the art vs. artist question, if we separate them and by how much. For me the film works despite Singer and is in no way a success of his. The film works because of the enthusiasm and chemistry of the actors, the fact that ultimately there is minimal drama and much of the film is the band and the various characters getting along, and most importantly the delightful and affirming music of Queen.

Say what you want but the infectious stomp-stomp-clap of We Will Rock You is undeniable.

See It.