"Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018) Review

“Rami Malek becomes the ‘Killer Queen’ of awards season.”

Directed by: Bryan Singer

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 2:15

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is the long-awaited Queen/Freddie Mercury bio-pic that many of us never thought would finally be released. After director Bryan Singer (best known for his “X-Men” franchise) was fired after failing to show up to work and has been recently caught amid sexual misconduct allegations, critics have had a horrible taste in their mouth about “Bohemian Rhapsody” before it was even released. However, despite its insanely mediocre Rotten Tomatoes score, there is one thing that all critics can agree upon and it is that Rami Malek is an extraordinary Freddie Mercury.

The film effortlessly nails Freddie Mercury and the rest of Queen, showing how they defied all of the rules and became one of the most groundbreaking, unconventional rock bands that the world has ever seen.  Together, they conquered the world as they put out one hit single after another, gaining all of the fame that rock stars could ever want. However, due to darker influences, it turned out to be not enough for Mercury and he began to spend his free time in the drugs and parties that were handed to him every night. 

Discovering as most stars do that going solo was not the life for him, Mercury pieces himself and the band back together long enough for a legendary performance at Live Aid that absolutely rocked the world like no other. Not long after, Mercury very tragically died from AIDS, but his vibrantly stylish impact on rock history and music lovers all over the world still remains an absolute treasure to fans everywhere.

There were quite a few flaws within this film, but they were so specific and meticulous that I don’t think that the average movie-goer would recognize any of them. A few of the scenes were quick-paced and felt almost rushed when it came down to showing the complexity of Mercury’s personal life and relationships. Though these specific scenes felt rushed, some of the scenes even felt super slow, dragging the film along until its encore. This may have been because the film’s transitions, in general, were very weak and a lot of the editing choices that the filmmakers chose came across as kind of cheesy- yes,toocheesy, even for a story about Freddie Mercury. But all in all, perhaps the biggest flaw the film had going for it was the fact that the story seems to have had a few missing pieces to its plot, but I blame the writers for that one. 

Now, it is time to talk about the absolutely, positively greatest part of the film: Rami Malek. Not only does the 37-year-old fully embrace the personality of Mercury from head to toe, but his performance is one that is almost so iconic that you forget that he isn’t the real Mercury. I couldn’t help but notice that a few other critics are shaming Malek for not using his own vocals to portray the Rockstar in the film. This notion is absolutely ridiculous, considering that the criticism would be the complete opposite if he would have actually used his own vocals. Also, who can recreate the iconic, one-of-a-kind voice of Freddie Mercury? No one. 

Though it still might seem a little early, awards season is right around the corner and it is safe to say that Rami Malek is getting that Oscar nomination and possibly will even win. Regardless if these predictions become true or not, Malek definitely deserves to win, and in my book, that’s all that matters. I can honestly say that if you go see this flick, especially if you’re a beloved Queen fan, you will leave the theater ready to campaign for Malek’s very deserving shot at the gold. Call me crazy, but I think he can do it. 

All in all, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a ‘champion’ of the film and doesn’t deserve most of the awful press you are probably reading about it elsewhere. It is a film for music-lovers, as well as a film for dreamers. Mercury was such a Rock icon and his wild story deserves to be seen by audiences everywhere. If you’re still skeptical, go see the film for its epic finale because it is worth every cent of your highly -overpriced ticket. Last but not least, remember that you heard it here first: this is Rami Malek’s lucky year…