Rocketman > Bohemian Rhapsody (Any Movie > Bohemian Rhapsody)
It’s no surprise that Dexter Fletcher’s highly energetic musical biopic on the trials and tribulations of Reginald Dwight (Taron Egerton) is better-than Bryan Singer [and Dexter Fletcher]’s manipulative and un-cinematic Bohemian Rhapsody. Virtually every aspect that made Bohemian a chore to watch is forgiven in Rocketman, a movie that will glue a smile on your face from its first frame to its last.
Compared to Rami Malek’s fake-singing and near-perfect recreation of Freddie Mercury’s mannerisms (which won him an Oscar of all things), Egerton can actually sing and perfectly encapsulate the character that is Elton John. Which is why his performance is miles better than Malek’s. It’s an authentic and heart-wrenching performance. At first, Reggie Dwight is portrayed as an innocent, young boy with a prodigal talent for piano playing, until he kills his name and becomes a pure character on stage. The second act of the film, in which he meets Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) and the name ELTON JOHN is world-recognized is the film’s best part, as we see John spiraling out of control and Egerton completely encapsulating John’s self-destruction. His drug-taking and alcohol abuse only worsens, and we, the audience members, are swept in the journey through visual representations of his mental state and wonderful musical numbers.
Whoever said that it was a good idea to present Elton John’s life through his songs and musical numbers is a genius. Fletcher breaks the formulaic structure he helped direct in Bohemian Rhapsody and creates something visually arousing and purely kinetic to watch. The musical numbers are all fantastically choreographed, beautifully shot and energetically edited to near-perfection that you can’t help but become swept away in the film’s true visual magnificence. All of the actors sing their own songs which adds to the authentic feel of the movie, and is more exciting than trying to recreate QUEEN in Bohemian Rhapsody with no real effort in wanting Malek to actually sing Queen songs. Egerton embodies Elton John not by trying to imitate him to near-perfection, but by adopting the mantra of Elton John and making it his own. When the “I’m Still Standing” sequence comes on, all you can do is applaud Egerton for his Oscar-worthy performance as John as he not only looks the part, but is able to make you believe he is John by adopting the persona of John as his own. The supporting cast is also fantastic, including Jamie Bell whom, when he shares scenes with Egerton, is pure magic on screen as Bernie Taupin and Richard Madden as a brilliant John Reid.
Another thing Bohemian Rhapsody failed to do was to adress the question of Freddie Mercury’s sexuality. His homosexuality was briefly mentionned in Bohemian Rhapsody, but, due to its “family-friendly” PG-13 rating, it wasn’t fully explored. The R-Rating allows Rocketman to showcase John’s homosexuality and his own problems with his sexual arousement he has of Reid. The sex scenes are intense and raw, something that wasn’t even shown in Bohemian Rhapsody that’s integral to the understanding of Freddie Mercury’s life and his own personal problems. Reid is a better asshole than Paul Prenter in BoRhap solely because we see the deep connection he has with John, as he can’t help but be aroused by him once he sees Reid. It’s a much more personal connection you have with John in which you’re able to understand his own self-destruction even more than Mercury’s “grr grr grr alcohol grr grr grr drugs grr grr grr PG-13 sex grr grr grr Paul you suck grr grr grr” in Bohemian Rhapsody (Thank you Charlie Angus for the inspiration).
The third act of the film is its best, presenting John at his most emotionally vulnerable, spiraling out of control with substance abuse. It’s, at times, incredibly hard to watch (especially for me who idolizes John like he’s the second coming of Christ, him being my favorite pop artist), but incredibly gratifying. We see, through visual representation of John’s mental state, someone who went to hell through excessive substance abuse, only to get back up and stand even more when he’s fully clean. “I’m Still Standing” kicks in and Egerton is digitally added in the music video. The sequence is the best way to end a perfect musical and visually exciting representation of John’s early life. It’s one of the best musicals (and biopics) I’ve seen in recent memory, and, as a tribute to Elton John’s illustrious career, it couldn’t have been more perfect. This is a film to see on the big screen (or on a big TV screen) to fully appreciate it, but it works fantastically no matter where you’re going to view it. What an exhilirating experience!
✯✯✯✯✯
