Follow The Yellow Brick Road.
121 Mins. Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Stephen Graham & Bryce Dallas Howard. Director: Dexter Fletcher.
DUM! Before the avenging 'Iron Man', a sober Robert Downey Jnr, staring at the aftermath of what critics thought was the endgame of his career walks barefoot around an empty mansion in one shot, singing 'I Want Love' like Elton John and we all do sometimes (and just you wait for the all in the family rendition walking around another lonely, haunted house here). As vulnerable and incredible as the cocksure charismatic and compellingly charming Hollywood leading man of 'Chaplin' who can carry a note himself has ever been on screen. DUM! Pop idol Justin Timberlake (who thanks to this was originally considered for this movie like Tom Hardy and we hope in some multiverse playing career Russian Roulette, Eminem), Bennie and the Jets suit and tie dressed like Elton John in royal regalia as classic as Elvis in white sequined diamonds, reveals more depth to himself and his music video muse seen through those iconic glasses in this spectacle. Lip sync singing along to 'This Train Doesn't Stop Anymore', wearily walking forlornly around a backstage party in every room that he just wants to get away from and escape to his own solo artist solidarity of his own stage. Dum, dum, dum, dum. Wednesday night seems to be alright for fighting too, as Elton John reminds this "bitch" what day it really is back in the 'Kingsman-Golden Circle' lair villain Julianne Moore has him locked in, with 'Eddie The Eagle' Taron Egerton trying to fly in and save him and set a whole new born star soaring. But kicking ass to his signature Saturday set like you with your tiny dancers on for a night out, like he still had that glittering L.A. Dodger get up baseball bat, Sir Elton runs, jumps and kung-fu kicks in full bloom peacock feathers. All whilst breaking the fourth wall and giving us a knowing look to screen watching at the cinema with "find that GIF right now" hilarious, open mouth excitement. DUM! The one and only Elton John from Marvel heroes to N*Sync leaders has already had famous faces channel his own one in iconic music videos from his 2001 'Songs From The West Coast' classic album. And 'Kingsman' Taron Egerton has also already sung his songs on screen before when he performed 'I'm Still Standing' as a teenage gorilla in a leather jacket in 2016's animated 'Sing' (how's that for a meta moment here like O'Shea Jackson Jr hiding himself as a baby playing his pops Ice Cube in another music biopic 'Straight Outta Compton'?). The same year he started his beautiful biopic arc, high-jumping as great British Winter Olympics legend 'Eddie The Eagle'. And now Mercury hot, he 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' duets like that heartful, aesthetic homage with the Oscar for 'Best Actor' winning 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Queen movie director Dexter Fletcher to play the king of Queens in the greatest British national treasure of Sir Elton John. Even duetting with the man himself on the soundtrack on the heartfelt and healing '(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again'. Because yes, just like 'Sing', Taron takes on all these legendary numbers by himself. Singing for more than his supper. Take that Rami's Freddie. This will crocodile rock you (and that scene really snaps). This isn't a mere biopic. It's a magnificent musical for the man who made 'The Lion King' roar going up against the Guy Ritchie wishes of Will Smith's Fresh Genie of 'Aladdin' today and this week. Can you feel the love tonight for the real greatest showman set for the West End to Broadway theatrical stages?
Still standing on top of his piano in L.A. Dodger diamond, swinging a bat over his shoulder, before letting it swagger swing by his knees like he's chopping wood and tipping the peak of his baseball cap so he can look out far into the Hollywood hills reaching crowd and see just how big he hit, Taron Egerton knocks it out the park as John. These are the iconic moments that make 'Rocketman' soar into a fantasy fever dream of a bohemian and beautiful biopic of its own one of a kind making like it's music muse. Anyone who pushes the envelope with their work, art or passion deserves our respect, not neglect. You see it in the entertainment industry all the time and on social media. People love to kick people when they're down without knowing how far they got up in the first place without so much as a helping hand. And oh how this mighty entertainer has fallen and picked himself back up time and time again. Don't just notice now his name is back up in cinematic and theatrical lights with the stage set, as his swan song tour says farewell to the yellow brick road Dorothy. And what more can you say in that regard to this man, his music and now his movie? Egerton is Elton like the child prodigy playing the young Reg Dwight to a perfect cast tee. So much so the real thing forgot he wasn't watching himself up there on a standing ovation, candid Cannes cinema screen. And one under a wicker hat moment man, looks like CGI trickery it's so dopple close. Taron is terrific in this exhilarating epic. This is his song. Good job he didn't take work being a sculptor. But then again no...look what he crafts here. It's a little bit funny the feeling he gives you inside. But I hope you don't mind that I put down in words. The look, the talk, the cock of the walk. All the way down to the vivid vulnerability of carrying these tunes on his own as he sings for himself and for Elton for real. An offbeat and outstanding opera, this is different and definitive. And powerfully poetic in its epic emotion. Euston rocket...we have a problem man. Watford junctions finest meets a new juncture like his punch drunk, pub crawl, manners maketh man opening number for this Marv reunion.. And as this young man becomes king he does it so perfectly peculiar, holding all the crown jewels of Sir John. Telling an alcoholic anonymous circle chair meeting in orange and devil red horns and what looks like angel wings, looking back on his life, "maybe I should have been more ordinary".
"You were never ordinary," 'Billy Elliott' himself Jamie Bell in the trailer replies warmly with a matching smile of the same emotive signature. Bell's career ringing ballet boy stage show adaptation moved the real Elton to tears back in the day and now Jamie plays the man who co-penned John's biggest and best show stoppers, Bernie Taupin. Think the Brad Pitt stuntman to Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' DiCaprio A-List actor. And long seventies hair, post free love don't care he does it showing us a side of the 'Snowpiercer' and rocky Thing 'Fantastic Four' actor that we have never seen before. "This will never last", Taron tells him. "Let's enjoy it while we can", Bell's Taupin replies with that same warmth that shows he's only really half agreeing with him, knowing something he doesn't then, but we all do now. He's got Elton John's back way more than the anti-Costner of 'The Bodyguard' actor Richard Madden, mirthing with menace that he will still be collecting his 20 percent long after our star has killed himself. You sure about that? A maddening Madden and Bell are brilliant in this biopic as is an almost unrecognisable Bryce Dallas Howard. The red-head, American 'Jurassic World' actor playing the Brit boys raven haired mum perfectly, calling him by his name in authentic thick accent. Just like 'Line Of Duty' and 'The Virtues' actor of the moment Stephen Graham chomping on a Churchill cigar, playing a real Dick without that Scouse swag. This biopic is one that really does reveal all in more ways than one. As Fletcher flexes his own directing dynamics after he saved 'Bohemian Rhapsody' from the cutting room floor. This time not being studio sanitised in a story of another seventies flamboyant gay icon coming out to his own spotlight stage. From gravity defying legs and crowds at the Troubadour that will have you all singing alone like you'll float too, to all the trouble drowning in his oceans of past deep swimming pool, Dexter like Egerton literally 'Rocketman' taking off now has two beautiful biopics under his diamond encrusted belt making him this genres king. And with this outstanding odyssey breaking barriers he has the stardust to even make a Starman out of a Bowie one. Or at least Mick Jagger...someone get Harry Styles on the blower. Or maybe even one by George. The late, great George Michael once paid tribute to Freddie Mercury who had just died of AIDS in concert with Queen performing 'Somebody To Love'. Little did anyone know at the time but George Michael who still kept his sexuality a secret had lost his own love to this dreadful disease. But still he powerfully performed with great gusto like he wasn't hiding a hurt and burden to bear. In the self-made Channel 4 documentary 'Freedom' released after his death though you see it in rehearsal behind the frames of those iconic sepia sunglasses. Slowed down his eyes look broken and hurt in a few seconds that seem like an eternity of grief before he collects his thoughts, composes himself and unleashes that star power like it was the night of the show from the first note of this practice run like a true professional and passionate artist in concert with his consoling craft. Singing about finding somebody to love when he had just lost the only one he thought he ever would. There are similar man in the mirror reflective, behind the stage scenes here where Egerton's Elton looks gone as his stage hands are dressing him in that same Dodger blue cap to sneaker toe. But then when he has handed the bat the weight of the world looks to be lifted as he takes it slugs it over his shoulder and struts his stuff in what looks like the whole one in the biggest Los Angeles ballpark. And rounding bases we've never seen the distance between fathers and sons swung so heartbreakingly since the stage of Denzel Washington's 'Fences'. It doesn't get more dedicated than that for star, stage and show. This rocket swings big and soars and hits man. Top of the pops for a real British idol with talent. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Kingsman-The Golden Circle', 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Eddie The Eagle'.
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