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| The real Freddie on the left, Rami Malek as Freddie on the right. |
I was late to this party because the universally bad reviews by paid professional critics talked me out of it, despite raves from friends who saw it. Now I know better. Bohemian Rhapsody, the 2019 biopic concerning British rock band Queen with special attention paid to the greatest frontman of all time, Freddie Mercury, is a two-hour and 13-minute ride to Outtahere, and isn't that where we all want to go these days?
Besides the film's indisputable escape factor, it's a patchwork of great music, a witty script, artful editing and a trip back in time to the 70s and 80s, almost but not quite pre-AIDS. Played by Rami Malek, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance, Freddie is an unceasingly entertaining character. The supporting characters are terrific too, each one a convincing replica of the original band member. It's almost freaky.
Admittedly it's all sort of soap-operatic, but that's fitting for a band whose whole "shtick" was over-the-top and melodramatic. The recreated Live Aid concert scene alone was worth the whole film. Spoiler alert: There's a heavy dose of homosexuality, what with Freddie being gay, running through several lovers, hanging with drag queens and ultimately getting sick and dying of AIDS. If you don't like that stuff then stay away. Otherwise, put it on your short list and think of it as a mini-vacation.
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