Dynamite with a laser beam, guaranteed to blow your mind. Biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” successfully takes the audience on a behind the scenes journey featuring not only front man Freddie Mercury, but highlighting Queen as a band.
The movie opens on the morning of their famous Live Aid performance, a duel venue benefit concert supporting the relief efforts of the Ethiopian famine in 1985. The audience follows Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malek, as he gets ready for the concert. You get a glimpse into his life, his relationship with his beloved cats and the emptiness of his giant home. Right before the band takes the stage, the scene ends and opens on a much younger Freddie working at Heathrow Airport.
Throughout the movie, you see the life of Queen from conception at a local university pub to the legendary Live Aid performance. The energy and originality of Queen is exemplified in the movie with the majority of the film focussing on Freddie Mercury and his inspiring story of self-identity. Malek does an amazing job of embodying Freddie Mercury, finding the perfect balance between confident legend and empty entertainer.
While the film focuses largely on the band’s success, the audience also gets a glimpse into the darker sides of Queen, especially Freddie’s struggles alongside his expectations of fame, intense drug use and eventually his battle with HIV aids. It is always a good reminder that people like Freddie Mercury, or any famous entertainer, at the core, are human. They have problems and feelings just like the rest of us, but often times their issues are broadcasted for everyone to see and judge, which causes trauma that people take for granted.
Even through all the drama, the theme of family is still prevalent in the film. On numerous occasions, Freddie and the rest of the band verbally call each other a family. They show this through the way they stick up for each other and the way that they fight and reconcile. They supported each other through everything, and that is the part of the story that stuck with me after the credits rolled. A story of fame and fortune — heartbreak and addiction — this film depicts all aspects of the legendary band in a beautifully made film that will inspire everyone who sees it.
