A cast and crew were finally agreed on but that wasn’t really the end of it. Bryan Singer directed for about 2/3 of the process before being let go in a shitstorm of controversy and accusations. Newton Thomas Sigel and Dexter Fletcher stepped in as directors to save the flick in the very last moment.

 

After all of this, we feared the result would be more of a compromise than a triumph of cinematic art. And then there was BRIAN MAY’s expressed desire to offer some quality “family entertainment” – after all, QUEEN were a rocknroll band, not a bunch of Disney characters…

 

Maybe that’s the way things go. Or perhaps we’re all too perceptive. But both are fears came true and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was just the mess we expected. Sometimes – an even bigger one.

 

The chaotic directing is painfully obvious, while the “family entertainment” angle has left the flick edgeless, lightweight, too colourful and funny, without a hint of the hedonistic excess so commonly associated with this kind of music. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is full of utterly unrealistic scenes making it much more akin to some random TV series about band X from London rather than a movie about the rise, fall and eternal greatness of one of rock’s best bands. Confronted with all these colours and smiling faces, we cannot stop thinking – “Is that the movie QUEEN really deserve?”

 

Did we mention the directing? Yes, we did but then again – what directing? Same goes for the screenplay that’s so blatant it could hardly be attributed to QUEEN. A bunch of young, long-haired kids meet outside a smoky London pub, quickly fall in love with one another and starting making great music together. The lead singer is phenomenal and the others are not half bad, so their debut is a breakthrough and the following albums are big hits. But when they’ve reached the top, the drugs, alcohol, greedy managers and plain old egos take control and nearly break up the band. Then, after years of self abuse and doubt, they get together for a grand comeback that would blow everyone’s hats off. Sounds familiar? Because it’s the story of hundreds, nay, thousands of rock bands and not exclusively QUEEN’s. and we’re kind of sure Freddie and the boys had a lot more going on and so many great stories to tell. 

 

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is not a complete dud and there’s one man to thank for that. RAMI MALEK takes on the role of FREDDIE MERCURY and is simply brilliant at that. He talks, moves and rocks like a true rocknroll star, succeeding at probably his toughest role yet. And it’s a shame really – because with an actor like him, you just need a great director and a decent screenwriter to make a great movie. Alas…

 

The worst is saved for last. The movie’s finale is a long, way too long live scene, picturing the band playing Live Aid 1985 at the Wembley. Obviously the idea was to end the flick on a high note, to end it in a grand, loud fashion. But it all pales in comparison to the real footage of these 21 minutes back in the day, when FREDDIE and QUEEN performed a flawless set of songs and held the world in their hands.