Some Love for Bo Rhap

Having seen so many "Before you watch Bohemian Rhapsody, read this," critic reviews...

Before you watch Bohemian Rhapsody, read this, from a fan - not a critic:

For weeks leading up to the "Freddie Movie," I saw these articles popping up in my newsfeed, in my google app, wherever trending articles may be found. I read exactly one, prior to watching the movie and forming my own opinion, and I did that quite intentionally. I can't remember anymore where it was published, or what exactly it said - but it loosely called the film shallow and inaccurate.

This past weekend was opening weekend for Bohemian Rhapsody, I saw the movie twice. Since the first trailer I saw I could barely contain my excitement, and it was the highlight of my entire year. I have been a fan for well over 20 years. I mean, a big fan. I'm like this:

After All I Am Your Biggest Fan GIF

I know, it's a little creepy.

I mean, that's what pops into my head constantly when I think of Queen. I was 10 when Wayne's World was released, I didn't see it until a few years later - and that, like countless others my age I'm sure, was my first introduction to Bohemian Rhapsody and Queen. At the time, it was a cool song in a cool scene in a movie I liked, and nothing more.

It wasn't until 1995 or so that I actually was introduced to Queen by my best friend, she owned the Classic Queen CD. Initial reaction: "That's that awesome song from Wayne's World!" But then I listened to more songs and I was quickly hooked. I was so heartbroken when I learned that Freddie Mercury had died, that I'd never see Queen live, and that there wouldn't be any more music. We watched videos, real videos because this was long before YouTube. We were strange kids with eclectic tastes, even though we immersed ourselves in the grunge and alternative music of the time, we also loved other bands like The Doors, Midnight Oil, Deep Purple and of course Queen. Always Queen.

As time went on I continued to listen and enjoy the majority of their music catalogue, and as the internet became mainstream and grew, I started looking into the band further. I'm that nerd that needs to know everything about anything I love; my mother says it makes me unique, I feel like it makes me a dork. I am full of useless information, things that I know for no reason other than it interested me. From bands and singers to psychology to history, I have this intrinsic need to know.

I read articles and biographies. I watched interviews. I tried to piece together in my mind who Freddie Mercury was, where he came from, what he became, who he was underneath all of his magnificent talent and showmanship. I found photos. I found raw clips of music. All of this in my pursuit to know Freddie, I dug out anything I could possibly find. To me, Freddie was the Queen. I admit that I largely discounted every other member, to me they seemed replaceable in a way that Freddie never was.

But the more I found out about Mr. Mercury, the more I saw the absolute talent of Queen, the dynamic, the way that no single one of them was Queen, they were all Queen and they were all essential. I began watching interviews with other band members. Documentaries. Watching how their songs were made. I realized that 3 out of 4 members had solo albums that never, ever hoped to reach the legendary success of Queen. That the even the iconic Freddie had solo albums that I'd never heard of, because, well... they weren't that great.

So, I say all of this to make it clear that I went into this movie knowing. I knew what really happened and when. I knew the background. I knew how the band was formed. I knew about relationships and quirks and random trivia and quotes. I knew as much as I could know.

I knew full well that the movie would take some creative license, because this story is just too big to be crammed into 2 hours. These people are too big, their achievements, their lives, their talent. Still, I had high high hopes for this movie, and it did not disappoint me in the slightest.

Here's why.

The casting was spectacular.

Rami Malek captured Freddie Mercury perfectly. He mastered all of the cockiness, all of the arrogance, all of the stage presence while also showing a human side that was sometimes lonely and unsure, who loved life and lived it to the fullest and yet, guarded his privacy and his most intimate self very strongly. Out of all the band cast members I felt that Rami looked the least like the character he played, his speech, mannerisms, performances and all - were so masterfully done that I don't believe a better actor could've been cast.

Gwilym Lee looked so much like Brian May that I sometimes forgot I was looking at an actor. Brian was, and is, absolutely brilliant both on and off stage. He was, in my opinion, the yin to Freddie's yang. Two musicians, equally talented - one flamboyant, full of stage persona, over the top costumes and larger than life, and the other a calm and rational presence, always himself and comfortable in his skin. These two seemed to balance each other perfectly, and that really comes through in the film.

Ben Hardy was every bit as pretty as Roger Taylor. Again, I sometimes forgot I was looking at an actor. Roger's talent shines through in this movie both as a drummer and a singer. I don't think that many people realize that Roger was responsible for the falsetto in Bohemian Rhapsody, that he could sing like an angel. I loved the personality shown, which is one I've never seen before and I can only hope is accurate as the band signed off on the script.

Joe Mazzello played John Deacon, who was, and remains a very understated character. John was never a "face" of Queen, never in the limelight, never stole the show. He was a steady presence, working behind the scenes more often than not and he comes across as a happy-go-lucky guy, not seeking attention. John was, in real life, a quiet person who did not speak up much in interviews but his contributions weren't minimal - he wrote a number of the band's hits, and created the "Deacy Amp" used by Brian May along with his own homemade guitar.

Finally -

Lucy Boynton played Mary Austin beautifully. One of my only complaints about this movie was the fact that it did not accurately portray Freddie and Mary's deep relationship after their breakup. Mary, like Freddie, was very private and she has very rarely given interviews. She has never given the public much glimpse of Freddie behind the mask, she has continued to guard his privacy fiercely in the decades since his passing.

Plus -

Even when background information was fudged a bit, even when timelines were rearranged, even when small details such as time and place were changed - the movie stayed true to the essence of Queen and of Freddie Mercury.

All of the performances, costumes and music were largely accurate. On the big screen, with a loud sound system, they were exquisite and literally sent chills down my spine. I have always, always despised the fact that I had no chance to see Queen live - to me, this was the closest thing to it.

Without spoiling the movie too much, there is a scene in the movie where the song, Bohemian Rhapsody, is roundly panned by critics. I couldn't help but be reminded of it when I saw the critics talking about the show, and I really felt that they were so bent on critiquing that they missed the whole point. This movie, like Queen, was about the music and the show.

Moving along...

There are critics who called this movie things like "shallow" "sanitized" "white-washed." They insist that Freddie Mercury was "prettied up" that his debauchery and excess was covered up, that his sexuality was an afterthought. To that, I reply - If that's what you see, and that's what you think, then the art of subtlety and nuance is lost on you. I find that American films insist on spoon feeding the audience to the point that there is no room for interpretation, and that's what American audiences want. It's not what I want, and I appreciate a show that makes me think, that makes me absorb, that makes me consider what's underneath, makes me want to learn more.

There's a scene in the movie where the record producer, after hearing Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time, exasperatedly asks what the song is even about, and to paraphrase, the response is that art is for the listener. I find it somewhat poetic that the movie would be the same, that it would seemingly make people scramble for explanations, and refuse to simply appreciate the art.

Freddie Mercury's legacy, and that of Queen, could never be condensed into 2 hours. If it could, they wouldn't be so iconic. This movie, although focused on Freddie Mercury, is not solely about him, and one of the things I love about it is how clear it becomes that there was so much more to Queen than just their lead singer.

Not going to lie, I cried like a baby the first time I saw the movie. Not only because of the sad bits, but also because of the power of the performances, the awesomeness of the music that hit me on a very visceral level. There is a down side to learning so much about a person, and that is that in a way, it ends up feeling like I terribly miss a person that I never met. Someone I wish I had met, or even ever seen in person. Sometimes I wish that I were famous, not because I want fame but because it could afford me the opportunities to meet people I can only dream of meeting, true story.

So, if you love Queen, go see this. If you know anything about Queen beyond their music, go. If you only know their music, go. If you don't know their music, crawl out from under the rock you've been living under and go. Understand that this movie is a tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen, to everything they accomplished. Understand that nobody is ever going to know everything about Freddie, because that's not what he wanted.

Just enjoy the show.

Postscript:

Click here for my more in-depth, spoiler-filled review.