Bohemian Rhapsody
2018
***
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers
This formulaic but foot tapping biopic of Freddie Mercury covers the musician's life from 1970 when he joins Queen to 1985 when the band regroup and memorably perform at Live Aid. Inbetween, Freddie attempts to come to terms with his own sexuality and his diagnosis of AIDS. Like Walk the Line, Ray, and many other biographies of artists, Freddie's captivating story follows a familiar story arc; the early success is followed by the inevitable years of excess and the late-career redemption. To enable this, Anthony McCarten's script makes up characters and reinvents the chronology of the songs and events. Rami Malek gives a fine lead performance. He won one of the film's four Academy Awards.
