King Of Queen.
134 Mins. Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander & Mike Myers. Director: ?
Queen may be the best British band of all-time. Which just might make them the worlds greatest. Yeah I said it like a Rolling Stone. And don't get me wrong I love The Beatles. Even if it did take me until I was a quarter century and all of 25 years old to truly get them (for a point of reference that was quite some time ago). I live a half hour train ride away from where they were born for crying out loud. I get it. From Lennon and McCartney, to John and Yoko. George Harrison and even Ringo. And I've fallen in love with Japan. A country who love this band like Beatlemania just began yesterday and not in the swinging sixties. One of their legendary writers Haruki Murakami even named one of his best books and perhaps his most famous after the 'Rubber Soul' song, 'Norwegian Wood'. Today pop and rock, maybe even music wouldn't be what it was without the Fab Four. But there's just something about Queen (no Radiohead or Muse without these innovators who turned the studio into their experimental playground). Or should we say Freddie?! The greatest frontman of all-time (sorry Michael). Or should we say the greatest showman? A true rock star who changed how we dressed, thought, acted. Just like Ziggy whilst under pressure. Or George, 'Rocketman' Elton (we can't wait 'Kingsman') and the real king, Prince after him. And the music?! Name a better stadium anthem than the clap and response of 'We Will Rock You'! Every winning sports team around the world sips champagne out of a trophy whilst drunkenly singing, 'We Are The Champions' my friend. And just wait until you're in the pub turned club in the early hours and the piano of "toniiight I'm gonna have myself a real good time" comes into play. Freddie could even reach the operatic sections in 'Barcelona' with that voice and range of stage presence (my dad used to wind the windows down and turn it all the way up to my embar...nah! I loved it). They even made hits about simply wanting to ride their bicycles ('I Love My Car's is revved up here but no love for these spokes?). Come on! And then like a thunderbolt of lightning there's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Galileo! "It goes on forever. Six bloody minutes!" "I pity your wife if you think six minutes is forever", right said Fred in return. Which just may be the greatest, we sure hope is true response since Joaquin Phoenix walked the line as the Man In Black, Johnny Cash and declared, "maybe I am going to a funeral". Another One Bites The Dust. Don't stop them now. Galileo!
'Mr. Robot' himself, Rami Malek is anything but mechanical in his replication of Mercury. Put his Fred next to Marvel heroes like Chadwick Boseman's James Brown, Don Cheadle's Miles Davis, Tom Hiddleston's Hank Williams or Jamie Foxx's 'Ray'. The real life has become fantasy and back again for a man and his kingdom that was always cinematic, but is now on an even bigger, grander stage. Just see it in the wonder of old Wembley in all it's IMAX clap and foot stomping, depth of crowds like caviar by night. As 'Bohemian Rhapsody' recreates the iconic Live Aid gig that Queen turned into their own for their coming out to the world moment. And it's taken a long time after original born star, Sacha Baron Cohen (who for the record would have been something else) dropped out and then 'X-Men' director Bryan Singer surrounded in controversy left and was replaced with 'Eddie The Eagle' Olympic biopic gold director Dexter Fletcher. Still now on this day, Malek is magnificent as Mercury. Like the director with the same last name but just spelt differently, Terrence it's movie making art. This is the most hype 'Bo Rhap' has had over a blockbuster movie since this iconic number was used to make a killing on the 'Suicide Squad' trailer two summers ago. But grounded in the down to earth indie stylings of something like Ron Howard's Formula 1 biopic 'Rush', this race against time is a real deal winner like champions, are we. Even if our Mercury's prosthetic gnashers and jawline make him look more like both Freddie and 'Family Guy's' idea of British kids (and we aren't talking about Stewie who you should never show the cover of the 'News Of The World' album to). But still Rami remedies all that, sounding so much like him he should sing like Taron as Elton next Summer. He is the cock and the walk of the charismatic and flamboyant front man in every iconic incarnation. From the sequins to the string vest. The mullet to the moustache. The glam rock to the stadium. It's a kind of magic. He's a killer. He's Queen. Dynamite with a laser beam. And there's his crown like King James in Hollywood. Oscar gold would fit with that robe too for the Emmy winner. Because Malek doesn't just look the part. He acts it too. So much so he is the part. All the way down to the hairs on his top lip above those teeth (Mercury's mouth muzzle belongs in the moustache Hall of Fame with Lionel Richie's, 'Magnum P.I.', Tom Selleck's and the late, great Burt Reynolds' (did you ever see him without one? 'Deliverance' just didn't look right)). He has the walk and talk style down, but behind all that is the substance of the real man behind the glam who wanted to break free from his job unloading other people's city stickered luggage from Heathrow. Behind some seventies, 'Whistle Test' stylings of all the landmarks they've played, Liverpool, Tokyo, London, Osaka, Rio, Freddie's arms are spread out like the redeemer for this Christ like figure of rock and roll and music as a whole, wide world. Seeing him own every party or stage he swagger struts through shows his great, legacy making influence. But hearing the pain in the words of this late, great legend under pressure is real acting inspiration. This is an actor who have grace and dignity to his Ahkmenrah character in the 'Night At The Museum' series. When the tragic hero asks, "what if I don't have time", Rami isn't the only one in the house without a dry eye with a lump in his throat. Try and fight back those tears. Too much love will kill you.
The show must go on. And in this kingdom there is more than just the hysterical Queen in this royal family by decree. 'The Tourist' actor Gwilym Lee is right on location as Brian May to the month and iconic hair. Just like the soaring blonde bomber of X-Men Archangel, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor drumming. And don't forget about Queen's Ringo, John Deacon played perfectly by a deadpanning Joseph Mazzello. Yep, Tim from 'Jurassic Park'. I know human piece of toast shocking right!? There's even a chicken who knows how to hit the high notes. Meanwhile 'Murder On The Orient Express' star Lucy Boynton (brilliant) and 'Downton Abbey's actor Allen Leech play Freddie's first and new love respectively. Whilst 'Game Of Thrones' actor Aiden Gillen and great Brit character actor Tom Hollander play the suit and ties behind the platinum plaques. And pass the false teeth. Because an almost Jon Voight in 'Ali' unrecognisable 'International Man Of Mystery', Austin Powers himself, Mike Myers (no not the masked knife wielding guy this 'Halloween'...did we not learn from the 'Baby Driver' botched mask job? Shout-out to their tribute to the riffs of 'Brighton Rock') is grooving too baby. Playing an EMI record exec with an accent halfway between Shrek and Fat Bastard, who says people will never rock out and head bang in their car to 'Bohemian Rhapsody' for the ultimate 'Wayne's World' Easter Egg. Mamma Mia. Mamma Mia. Party on Freddie. Mercury is rising again. But not without all the properties of the powerhouse ballad of his platinum band. Like he said in response to them calling him a legend and something we all need to heed in this instant celebrity, Instagram selfie age together, "we're all legends"! 'Bohemian Rhapsody' isn't just a biopic about Freddie. It's a biopic about all his friends and what they formed to rock us. A life remade that could even knock the Ra Ra of Lady Gaga and director Bradley Cooper's 'A Star Is Born' remake off the top of the showman charts of La La Land. This is musical royalty. The real monarch we think of when we hear the word Queen. God save him. AY OH! TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Rocketman', 'A Star Is Born', 'The Greatest Showman'.
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