Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody is an emotional and vigorous celebration of artistic dedication, individualistic eccentricity and the importance of standing your ground. The funny and fresh introduction of how the band’s greatest hits were created in the studio provides some comic relief from the emotional relationships that build the characters’ depth and, at the same time, serves as a musical precursor to the final CONCERT, which with amazing technical skill summarizes all of the joys, pains and life values of Mercury and his loved ones touched upon by the movie. One can hardly believe that it was so “movie-like fateful” in reality and that the Mercury’s ex-wife was always the person closest to him, even though he had strayed sexually. This amazingly edited, lighted and, above all, well-acted film offers a lot of playful details without a single creative lapse or weak spot. Rami Malek has you in the palm of his hand from the moment he appears in front of the cameras. You’re there with him, getting drunk on his acting performance and watching the uniquely depicted character placed in the web of friendly, professional and romantic relationships. You admire him, root for him and, in the end, during the CONCERT, you feel terribly sorry for him. You feel that the world lost something precious when it lost Freddie Mercury. Bohemian Rhapsody is the best music biopic I’ve ever seen. A huge screen and quality sound are a must. (10/30/2018)

Singer mechanically cycles through human dramas, studies, and live performances that in parts are brimming with energy, oozing from all sides - from the excellent actors, through the camera and editing, to the last precisely-aimed spotlight. Otherwise, the 130 minutes slip by like a missed chance to go beyond the edge of a slick biopic that suits the screen. But the fact that the audience, regardless of age and musical taste, sits down to watch it in droves means above all that the effort to please absolutely everyone has succeeded perfectly. However, if it wasn’t for the brilliant music (and I say this as someone who is not that fond of it), it's a seasonal dud. Fortunately, it's about the music, and I won't hide the fact that it moved me. (12/09/2018)

Finally, a movie that packed the cinema with regulars as well as occasional viewers. A hit that was destined to be a hit. The story of a band, which was destined to be legendary and unique from the very beginning. Queen is actually like that and I have been waiting for many years to see somebody pick up their story and film it in a personal way that feels good. Bryan Singer felt it exactly as I hoped. I could talk about its pros, but also cons. I could talk about the good, but also weaker moments. There are points of the plot of the movie, which I don’t really understand, but on the other hand, there are also points which made me think about what Freddie was possibly like and what sort of life he lived. On the next day, I agreed with my coworkers that the movie is actually very conciliatory as far as Freddie’s life is concerned. I believe that the true reality was much worse… harsher. However, the story oozes a great deal of humility. It also shows the great respect of the whole band for the man who grew up with them and who is for me the greatest singer of the century. That may be one of the reasons why I am giving it five stars and I am unable to rate it differently. You can feel the precision and emphasis on details, which I am sometimes missing in other biopics. It conceals the soul of a perfect story, which has not been seen for a long time and probably won’t be seen for a long while. (11/08/2018)

The story of one of the greatest bands of all time, Queen, and its charismatic lead singer Freddie Mercury, is conceived as a grand celebration of their music, energy and camaraderie rather than a classic biopic. Instead of private information, dying of AIDS or escalating conflicts between the protagonists, there are concerts, singing and the film tries to entertain above all. Fans will probably appreciate this, but if you go to the cinema expecting to learn more or get any significant insight into Mercury's private life, you'll probably leave disappointed. (11/01/2018)

No one in the world can accuse me of not being a fan, because there probably isn’t another band in my life that I was into as much as Queen. I didn't listen to anything else for a few years. I absorbed the songs, lyrics, concerts, and I read the biographies. That's probably why Bohemian Rhapsody seems like very lazy history research to me, and it was also very much castrated by the living members of the band. All that remains is the flimsy story of a naughty child and a trio of his dads who try to protect him from evil in the form of a disgusting version of Tom of Finland and his party of gay friends in leather. It was supposed to be a portrait of deep solitude, but it is just a superficial and poorly-motivated collection of weakly told stories. All in all, I can deal with the fact that the film dismisses everything dark (sexuality, drugs) in almost a puritanical vein, if it at least offered more than sitcom figures and a lot of awkwardly arranged scenes (will anyone really be satisfied with a theatrically lit and Highlander song tinted scene from the AIDS center in 2018? Obviously they will...). The film is kept above water by excellent editing and also the fact that it has a rhythm typical for this type of genre. At Live Aid, you can feel that Singer quite enjoyed it. In some scenes, I had the feeling that the director was either sleeping or didn't arrive. The paradox is that a perfect product was created because of all those blind spots. He gives people a genius without everything that was outrageous about him and preserves Queen’s pathetic halo of stadium entertainers. Only Roger was a bit of a naughty womanizer. But you know how it is with those guys... (11/09/2018)

This is not a biographical movie about the conflicting controversial Mercury´s personality. However, it is not even a film about the ups and downs of one of the most important bands in history. Where the Queen pushed / broke boundaries, the film is the exact opposite of their nature. It is "only" a completely safe “medium-current" (but at least not pathetic) and a celebrating film for fans in the form of “flying around the world through the careers of the Queen and their biggest milestones / hits". And not surprisingly, it doesn't matter at all, because it has one motto, which has the insignificant portion of films / documentaries (not only) about music. Namely, a completely unprecedented captivating driving force and energy, moreover supported by excellent technical (and especially sound; especially in Imax) aspects and performances. Not only Malek, but also Gwily Lee as Brian May and others are worth mentioning. Yes, I can complain about the fact that if I cast an actor in the caliber of Malek, who more than aptly (not) portrays, but becomes Freddy (how he managed to balance memorable poses and facial expressions with moments where only his look is enough, is worth all the praise), into the role of such a bearing and grateful role, it is an outright sin not to make full use of it and not to explore all aspects of his life. Yes, it's basically a fairy tale about outsiders, where the remaining members of the band have no place left beyond their role in the band. Yes, a lot of characters play a purely caricature role (especially the duo Ray Foster / Paul Prenter), a lot of things don't fit in time, quite a few of them are modified or even invented. There might complain about a lot of things. But, as I mentioned, that energy and pace push all these week points completely out of the field of vision and instead just rock and roll. (11/04/2018)

Yeah, it was alright. While Bohemian Rhapsody is at first glance the prototypical film that misses me by a thousand miles (a musical, a biopic gay drama) is a bit of the opposite of my favorite (horror, action, thriller), but oddly enough I saw the film and I’m alive and well. Rami Malek overacts a bit too much for my taste, but he and Freddie are very similar in appearance and he doesn't do a shameful job for a second-rate actor. Story-wise, there's not much of interest and the only strong moment comes in the final performance at Wembley, which is definitely good. I certainly won't see it again, but I was expecting suffering and in the end I got a fairly watchable film. 60%. (03/18/2019)

A celebration of music. Framing the entire story with a concert works incredibly well. The packed Wembley Stadium hungry for every note and Mercury’s every movement enraptures the viewer and takes them not just to the center of the action, but even above it, with the camera flying over the audience and weaving between the band’s legs and even between the fingers on the piano keyboard. Singer is brilliant in terms of form, serving up details on a silver platter, and that’s just the framework I’m talking about. The approach to the band's origins, recording the greatest hits, the dynamics of their relationships and to AIDS also functions well. The movie doesn’t go into detail and it’s a little fragmentary, which is a bit of a shame, but at least it doesn’t hinder this ode to the best band in the world. If you want details, watch a documentary… Malek is fantastic, but so is the rest of the acting ensemble. Ehm…great soundtrack. (11/07/2018)

I was never a Queen fan. For me, their music was synonymous with the cinematic Highlander, and when the name Freddie Mercury was mentioned, the most that came to mind was a duet with Montserrat Caballé. But I respect a film that conveys so much energy with such certainty. The final half-hour of the Live Aid concert is a great idea. Why complicate something that works? Wasn't the reality a little more complicated? That could be another movie in and of itself. (07/26/2019)

The celebration of a legend, sunny, full of breathtaking energy and musical highlights. Some of the passages are unnecessarily cinematic, not improvisational enough and quite for effect. Here is where the spontaneous A Star is Born wins. This is reminiscent of 2013, when the two best films of the year, Gravity and Rush, stood side by side and each had a slightly different fan base. Both were great films, but while Rush was a true-to-life story, graspable by any spectrum of audiences, Gravity wanted a more ambitious recipient who was willing to "put in the work" to be rewarded. The same thing happens here, and in films that are very similar in genre. Bohemian Rhapsody is the more challenging sibling, A Star is Born is a gentle American love story, but it manages to work better with emotions. And unlike Rhapsody, you'll take away a bit more from the cinema than just a polished musical component and an interesting depiction of a typically internally torn weirdo artist. (11/18/2018)

An ode to Queen. Fans will purr with bliss in the movie theatre, enjoy the peaking of the four title characters, the perfect atmosphere and lots of small detail... They won't understand how anyone can sing so much like Freddie (I'd have bet everything that it’s him signing, but apparently it’s not) and look exactly like Brian, and will wait for the finale at Live Aid. And that is some finale! I feel like I'm there, possibly like I'm seriously watching Queen from the recording. Hats off! For those who are sorry that Bohemian Rhapsody is not “bolder", too bad for them. The film does not obfuscate what went on at Freddie's exuberant parties (perhaps there will be dwarves with packages of drugs, a thing Peter Freestone vehemently denies, almost in every interview), but he doesn't show it because he doesn't need to show it. This is a film about love, friendship and one person's determination to get absolutely everything out of himself, on and off stage. And it's a great film. (11/01/2018)

It’s something unique, pandering, energetic, top quality craftsmanship and yet empty. The opening scene is great and the camera panning in the end over a packed Wembley stadium brings chills, but neither the visual panache nor the stirring music can make up for the absence of a core conflict and the trivial development free from any controversy that would disrupt the unrealistic iconicisation of the adored Freddie. On the one hand, I have to admire this project because its box-office success is unparalleled for biopics and it’s also very good as advertisement for a famous band, on the other hand, it’s nothing more than an expensive promotional item – this prancing around fifteen years of history and conflicts that get resolved with a quick chat under the rain or in a manager’s office would have never been so easy to pull out without a brand like Queen. (03/25/2019)

Bohemian Rhapsody is definitely one of the best and most successful biopics in the history of cinema, thanks in particular to the character of Freddie Mercury, who, even years after his unfortunate death, manages to lure many viewers to the cinemas to take a peek under the hood of his controversial and wild life and get carried away on the immortal hits of the immortal band. No need to say much about the cast – they all act (and sing) with heart and immense authenticity. I found the first half of the film a bit disjointed and littered with bits and pieces of biographical events, but the second half picked up the pace and the final concert was really bombastic – you felt in the cinema like you were back in in 1985 at that famous concert. I was quite surprised when I read the interesting fact that a lot of moments from the film were not entirely true to life, but I am not a devoted or die-hard fan, so I was easily and unrepentantly deceived. A film that has a great subject, good execution and incredible performances, and should definitely be seen on the big screen, where it undoubtedly belongs. (12/01/2018)

One has to be a little nervous when five Oscar nominations and record-breaking theatrical receipts are racked up by a film so empty, pointless, and devoid of ambition that even its director wasn't entertained enough to show up to the set. Which you can tell from the film, among other things. Bohemian Rhapsody is nothing more than a monolithic monument to Freddy Mercury, and by extension the entirety of Queen, who as executive producers, obviously made sure to come off as the right bunch of buddies with their hearts in the right place despite the occasional cloud in an otherwise blue sky. Which implies, for example, that the film spends almost more of its time lying than it does telling the truth. Then, lest the band's fans be offended, the film spends its entire running time telling them how unique and groundbreaking their favorite band's music is, as if patting them on the back and praising them for recognizing that quality. And yet it seems unable to actually prove it in any way other than by constantly having someone walk into the scene and say "Oh my God this is so good, you're a genius!" During the first half of the film, someone says "It's beautiful" more than ten times. There is repeated emotional weeping over Mercury's genius, and we even get a completely serious scene where the frontman himself cries over what he just wrote! I think the last 20 minutes of the film will hopefully make it clear to any fan of the band that this is a unique and legendary concert, without the movie having to chew their food for them with people dancing in front of the TV in the pub or ringing phones in Bob Geldof's office from people who were so inspired by how Queen rocked it onstage that they decided they just had to start sending money to Africa right away. I find the notion of music and the band as a career concept, where music is only thought of in terms of how to get more people to see it, to be utterly disgusting. Especially since they then try to elevate the film to a status above Madonna. Not to mention the fact that the film portrays Mercury's escapades, legendary gay parties, and the requisite party debauchery as if it were made in the 1950s. As I write this, I’m actually realizing that I haven't seen anything so disgustingly and stupidly small and bourgeois in a long time, so I'm knocking off another star. Put a little thought into it for crying out loud, film is not a safe space. (02/04/2019)

Even before watching the film, I knew I would like the soundtrack. I have listened to Queen a lot (although Led Zeppelin is Led Zeppelin), but my knowledge of the band’s story was very superficial, which was okay because the film could hardly disappoint or upset me. The plot picked up a decent pace from the very beginning. All those great hits only added to the whole experience, and it wasn’t boring in the least. I had a pretty good time. (03/06/2019)

A fascinating audiovisual presentation of Queen that is reprehensible in how extremely flat the psychology of the characters is. In any case, I doff my cap to the marketing strategy, since few people probably expected a such a mainstream success in the cinema. As long as you let yourself get carried away by the atmosphere and those timeless songs, it's a grandiose spectacle. In fact, the opening almost lured me beyond my expectations, as the first 30 minutes are simply perfect. The problem comes when the characters are supposed to acquire some more serious definition. The key facts are presented is very offhand way, which of course impacts the believability of the central characters. The depiction of Mercury's promiscuous homosexuality (while I understand the limitations of Singer and Fletcher as far as keeping an accessible rating) comes across as "obligatory" in Bohemian Rhapsody, as does the announcement to the other band members that Freddie has AIDS. Maybe I'm being demanding, but both of these facts must have had a very significant impact on the functioning of the band, as well as a significant impact on Mercury's mental state. There have been words exchanged about it here where some venture the "obligatory" and others distance themselves from it. I understand the desire to avoid wider controversy (this is supposed to be a film for the whole family, after all), but unfortunately the result of such a half-hearted approach is the brutal emasculation of any serious narrative. (03/10/2019)

Brian and Roger wanted a big family affair and they got it, but if you want Freddie crawling dejectedly on the floor, go somewhere else. Bohemian Rhapsody is the epitome of pure entertainment, delivering a Queen’s Best of the Best with four individuals that would be right at home with the members of the famous band. But where this quartet personally overwhelms me is the almost complete and over-hyped Live Aid, which in atmosphere is nothing like the 1985 original. It's only there that you really realise how much you wish the concert, the film and especially Mercury's life had never come to such an untimely end. (11/06/2018)

I've been a huge fan of Queen and their brilliant music since I was a young girl, so I was really looking forward to this film. I can't help it, but Bohemian Rhapsody is a big disappointment for me because of that. Visually and musically, it's a near-perfect piece of work, but it doesn't have much in common with a biopic. Queen is primarily Freddie Mercury, and I assumed I would actually learn something about him. Where did he come from and where did his personality take shape? His sex life was probably quite turbulent, that must be obvious to everyone, but here it looks like he was almost innocent... It seems to me that the film skillfully glides only on the surface and doesn't want to get even a little dirty. If I compare it to The Dirt (what a fitting title) about the band Mötley Crüe, I can't rate Bohemian Rhapsody better than slightly above average. The Dirt is a truly believable biopic with all the trappings that go with it. (03/06/2020)

I find it hard to rate this for a number of reasons. Queen are an absolute legend and their music is a true masterpiece. I have seen this happen many times - wherever their music is used, the result is always awesome, so the creators had a much easier job, because no matter how they filmed it, it could never turn into a complete disappointment. The story of this legendary band itself was actually much more dramatic. The movie barely scratches the surface, never cutting to the core. A lot of the things are over-simplified, not just regarding the way it is filmed, but also due to gaping holes in the story. I don’t mind the fact that the rest of the band gets pretty much ignored. Freddie gets all the attention, because (although the creators and especially the living band members/producers probably wanted to convince us otherwise) his story is simply the most interesting one. But even that feels incomplete - I didn't actually learn anything new or fundamental, and it's an even greater shame as the creators had Rami Malek at their disposal, whose rendition of Mercury’s mannerisms and speech was spot on. All the hit songs were written without showing their true inspiration or meaning, they simply came into existence, period. Yes, everything is sort of implied, but none of it is developed in a satisfactory way. The editing is sometimes confusing, or at least I felt that some scenes lacked continuity. Anyway, to get back to the beginning of my review after such a long digression - can you really be disappointed after watching Bohemian Rhapsody? Absolutely not, because even if they screened YouTube videos of their concerts instead of the movie, it would still be an amazing experience thanks to Mercury's perfect singing and his incredible ability to wrap the audience around his finger. And even if you were (theoretically speaking) untouched by Queen's music, the final part at Wembley is something absolutely spectacular, and it is where the emotions really fly high and its energy is so over-whelming that it will draw you in and won't let go. (11/08/2018)