Like the Legend Himself ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is Flawed yet Entertaining

Despite receiving mix reviews, Bohemian Rhapsody is doing pretty well globally. It earned another $15.7 million in North America and is being declared as the second biggest musical behind ‘Straight Outta Compton’. In this movie you’ll discover how the band ‘Queen’ was formed, how the name of the band came about, Freddie Mercury’s relationships, his sexual orientation, the ups and down in his own family life and last but the most important of all, his unforgettable music.

Lead actor Rami Malek is undeniably the main attraction of the movie who’s playing the legend himself. Malek is being applauded for portraying Mercury’s personality to the T. Critics say that Malek has brought out Freddie’s flamboyancy and the rashness in his character partly as the young Freddie was still on the verge of becoming a man then, remarkably well on the big screen. Lucy Boynton plays Mary Austin who is a picture of patience and calmness. She was the only person who understood Freddie more than he knew himself.

Freddie and Mary were in a long-term relationship however when Mercury revealed his true sexual identity to Mary, she broke up with him. Their relationship transcended all boundaries and broke all stereotypes of that era as both of them continued to remain good friends despite possessing different sexual identities. Freddie often referred Mary to be his only true friend and revealed to his close confidantes that nobody can ever replace her despite him having many liaisons. The ‘Freddie and Austin’ friendship was excellently crafted, filmed and made to feel real-like in this musical biopic.

Critics agree that there are a few flaws in the movie. For instance, Freddie’s musical journey was not an easy roller coaster ride however the screenwriter didn’t bring his real struggles to the audience. The creators didn’t delve deep into his childhood when he learnt the piano at the age of seven and created a band while he was still in school. Farrokh Bulsara’s Indian Parsi roots were not deeply touched upon. The plot lacks the elements of scandal and drama but the truth is Freddie’s life was infused with controversy, mystery, loneliness and tragedy.

The Live Aid concert in the final sequence of the movie was made as close as possible to the original concert in London back in the 80s. The same concert which went down in history. The scenes capture the legend passionately running his fingers on keys of the piano, his limitless energy, his madness on stage, his unmatchable voice that captured the hearts of millions and the large hysterical crowd that looked like an ocean of people. Besides Rami Malek’s attractive performance, the conclusion of the movie is a visual treat to the audience.

Despite its flaws, the movie is said to be entertaining and absorbing.  So, if you are a ‘Queen fan’, desire to watch an entertaining movie that celebrates the life of a legend and desire to relive Freddie Mercury’s life through his music then this movie is definitely worth watching.

Take a peek at ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ below: