Rocketman
This was not the movie I expected to see. Where Bohemian Rhapsody was a fairly straight(ha!)forward telling of Freddie Mercury's life (with the occasional dramatic embellishment) this film played much more like an old style musical. The movie often broke away from the storytelling to use Elton John's songs to push the plot. When characters break into song during dramatic moments, trading Elton lyrics, and when events devolve into fully choreographed song and dance numbers, what you've got is a full-blown musical -- not a movie. That wasn't what I thought I was going to see. Musicals should come with a warning.
It's a little hard for me to understand why somebody who literally had it all could be so completely miserable. See: Nikki Sixx, Freddie Mercury, Elton John, etc. In the case of Elton and Freddie, the misery was compounded by a deep-rooted need to be loved and a circle of sycophants incapable of providing that. I have theories related to how that abject loneliness manifested itself in the turn to gayness but that I will keep to myself.
Tareyton Eggetson (what is that guy's name?) of the Kingsman fame did a credible job of inhabiting John's persona. That he's playing John at all is a clever inside Kingsman joke anyway. But the movie was so odd and the residual hangover of Rami's performance as Mercury will probably keep this performance out of the "Best" category when it comes award time. Had this come first, it might have overshadowed Malek if only because Tarelyton did his own singing throughout the movie.
It was whitewashed, of course, because that's the nature of history. The victors get to write it. Had the same film been made through the eyes of Bernie Taupin, John Reid or Dick James it would likely have been a vastly different story.
It was good. But in comparison to Bohemian (and those comparisons are inevitable) it's not great. The main reason for that is the way it was played. Turning it into a quasi-musical, which required enormous creative license with the timeline of song creation and performances, was problematic. As I reflect on it, though, I tend to think that another story of a self-absorbed, self-pitying mega-rich emotionally bankrupt star wasn't compelling enough on its own. Crue was rowdier (and more fun). Freddie was more tragic. Elton was just sorta bland. Oh, poor you. Dad wasn't emotionally invested and Mom was a little whorish. Poor poor pitiful you.
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