Bohemian Rhapsody – 20th Century Fox

Cast: Rami Malek, Gwilym Lee,  Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Lucy Boynton

Directed By: Bryan Singer

Fans of Queen and particularly Freddie Mercury will rejoice, as finally the much awaited biopic of one of Britain’s top rock band’s has finally been released in Indian cinemas, though almost two weeks later than the international release.

But diehard fans won’t really bother about it, for watching this epic journey of the band would surely give them an adrenaline rush.

But even before the film rolls up, we have the familiar 20th Century Fox theme song on screen, but mind you this time the familiar trumpet fanfare morphs into a Queen-like guitar riff that shows how much Fox – 20th Century believe that it’s time to rock. This would surely come as a surprise to many who love the tune and even hum it. Cheers to the banner for such a change.

The film chronicles the mercurial rise and fall of rock band Queen’s 15 years (1970 – 1985), focusing primarily on lead singer Freddie Mercury played by the extremely talented Rami Malek who portrays the legendary singer with practiced ease. Malek literally has the whole audience in the palm of his hand. He plays Mercury to the tee with scene stealing performances.

It might seem like you are watching a concert here, for every song the band performs, the lyrics are highlighted on the screen in capitals, which gives the audience the chance to sing-along with the band. The sub titles though a bit of a distraction at times, help you to follow the dialogue easily. When Brian May gathers his band mates and their wives on a rehearsal stage to the foot stomping and hand clapping of We Will Rock You, you know you are watching the making of some iconic classics that are still loved today. This only shows that the film is worth seeing to hear the music over theater speakers, booming near you.

Coming to the look of Mercury, Malek fits perfectly, but performing like him is altogether another story which he manages to shake off well even in the darker moments of the film. On stage, Malek is pure Mercury, his swag and his flirty expressions embolden him to get Mercury's confidence not forgetting high cheekbones, endless jaw line and, of course, those buck teeth.

The story takes on when Mercury is working at Heathrow airport as a loader, while at night he fancies a band Smile, who would later become one of the world best rock bands. When their lead singer quits, Mercury offers his services to band mates that consist of the curly haired Brian May (Gwilym Lee), drummer Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) and bassist John Deacon (Joe Mazzello). While he searches for the band in a nightclub, he bumps into Ciba sales girl Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton), who he later befriends and falls in love. He also writes the song Love of My Life which he dedicates to her.

As the band gains popularity, Mercury’s personal life takes a toll. The film focuses a lot on Mercury’s personal life with Mary to whom he was engaged, before he reveals to her that he is ‘bisexual’.  Freddie is besotted by Mary, but due to an identity crisis moves over to the affections of other material things like wild parties and clubbing, before his romance with Jim Hutton (Aaron McCusker) takes over. Jim’s relationship with Mercury is not covered exhaustively compared to Mary’s craving for him. His soft talk to Mary over the phone is childlike. However, Jim and Mercury cemented their relationship until Mercury’s death from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991.

On the music front, everything happens relatively quickly and easily for Queen once Mercury joins the band and they make it big in the US. But suddenly the tables turn when Mercury announces to the band that he has signed a $ 4 million deal with CBS and plans to go solo. The move breaks the hearts of all the members of the band. Mercury moves over to Munich, but finds no friends there and returns. But things are not the same. Jim controls his life. Mary’s call to Mercury is handled by Jim, including the mega event of a concert. Things take a turn when Mary comes calling to him one day and finds Mercury in a bad state. She informs him about the Live Aid concert and things take a roll. The truth is revealed and he leaves Jim. He meets his band mates again and all is forgiven.

The movie concludes post the Live Aid concert a global charity concert in 1985 that raised money to fight hunger in Africa, with Mercury giving a rousing performance to songs like Somebody to Love, Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio GaGa, with a look that is full-on rock style, short, slicked hair and large, bushy mustache,

Some of my favorite scenes are when the four of them are recording a song particularly Bohemian Rhapsody. You see as much of the foursome's creativity as you see the fights.  Sometimes it’s just Mercury alone at a piano in a farmhouse with his raw emotions and natural talent on full display. Or at another time, when Ray Foster slams the band for recording Bohemian Rhapsody 6 six minute track saying that no radio station would play it, until one of the band members states in no uncertain terms, “I pity your wife if you think 6 minutes is forever.”

It’s a rock concert alright with songs like Love of My life, Somebody to Love, Radio GaGa, licks of Another One Bites the Dust, and of course rock’s best anthem Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie is a must see in the theatre on surround sound system that gives you the rock arena feel.

The film has some bold scenes with Jim as well as Mary that are obviously part of the script and well documented. Queen's seductive music garnered more from Mercury’s philandering lifestyle makes it the crux of the biopic.

After watching this film you really wish Freddie Mercury was still alive. The Beethoven of rock music who put opera in rock and vice versa, changes tones so many times and so masterfully, is still loved and heard today.

Whether you are or were a Queen fan, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is a great film, we can bitch and whine about what's not here ... or what is not needed, and how Mercury appears in the film, or we can sit back and enjoy the way it honors Mercury and Queen. I would prefer to do the latter.

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira