Thursday, November 8, 2018

Loved "Bohemian Rhapsody."

I just saw "Bohemian Rhapsody," that new movie about the band Queen, and loved it.  Really stylishly done.  It even gave me a few laughs.  It ought to be up for Best Picture next spring.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" starts out with a guy (We can already tell it's Freddie Mercury in his later years) getting geared up for this big concert.  Then we flash back to when the band was just starting out, and Freddie (then with his original surname) joins them; likewise, they have a different name themselves.  From there, they rise to stardom, and it's all well done, and very rockin' in many places.  Plus, we get the gist of how the full three weeks (yes, that's right!) it took Queen to record the song of the movie's namesake may or may not have paid off among rock critics, but it still proved a classic.
The performances are remarkable; I didn't exactly catch the lead actor's name, but he's like Freddie reincarnated, almost.  The music of Queen lines the film like properly chosen wall-to-wall carpeting, sometimes even poignantly so, as when "Who Wants To Live Forever" is played when Freddie first has to come to grips with being HIV-positive.
It was directed by Bryan Singer, now a master filmmaker since "The Usual Suspects" and many of his "X-Men" adventures in cinema.  He does it all fantastically, even chronicling Freddie Mercury's relationship (and fleeting marriage) to this young lady to whom we get the idea he's sadly dishonest, in particular concerning his true lifestyle.  Then there's one or two men in Freddie's life that help him along with love that way, but...ah, why give it all away?  Just see it for yourselves.  Even with all I've so far said, it's worth it just for the musical experience.  It's almost like a time-warp concert, that way.  They Will Rock You.  And still, They Are The Champions.

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