Rhapsodic Bohemian Rhapsody

Many a great film has emerged from challenging production circumstances, though it’s doubtful if that end result makes those who suffered through them feel any better. Director Bryan Singer’s (X-Men, The Usual Suspects) troubling reputation – both on and off set – has already been well documented, to the point that 20^th Century Fox fired him before filming of Bohemian Rhapsody completed. 

But filmmaking is a collaborative medium, and if there is enough vision in the genesis, and enough passion in the combined effort, good work can still win out – which is very much the case here, thanks to a deft screenplay from Anthony McCarten (Darkest Hour) and Peter Morgan (The Crown), and a simply transformational performance by Rami Malek as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. 

Bohemian Rhapsody is terrific, crowd-pleasing biopic material. A UK immigrant from Zanzibar yearning to transcend his familial and cultural limitations, young Farrokh Bulsara had a four-octave vocal range, matched only by the dreams of what his voice could make possible – his entire being intent on performing. In 1970, he formed Queen with guitar player Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, and the rest is history.

Lucy Boynton is good as Freddie's supportive girlfriend and later wife; Gwilym Lee is particularly good as Brian May, with Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) and Allen  Leech (Downton Abbey) both shining in supporting roles. There's also a very strange secondary role I'll let you find on your own. If the film seems to have particularly tight cohesion between its music and editing, it may be due to John Ottman, who distinctively fills both roles as composer and editor. His work with cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel (Drive, Three Kings) immerses the film in a rich seventies glow and explodes during the film's spectacular Live Aid concert sequence.

Malek is utterly phenomenal, navigating Mercury's accent and personality with incredible skill. It's a nuanced performance, with shy, intimate moments giving way to the indulgence and perils of fame and isolation. It may be a familiar show business bio arc, but Malek's craft and subtlety makes it fresh and hypnotic - and when he's on stage performing, you simply can't stop watching. As the film moves through time, it's awe-inspiring when you realize the incredible variety of innovative hits Queen generated, and the massive cultural influence they made in all too short a time. 

Bohemian Rhapsody has connected with audiences in a major way, with a jaw-dropping global box office of over $800 million, it’s the highest grossing musical biopic of all time, and the fifth top release in Fox history, behind Avatar and the Star Wars franchise. After the huge success of A Star is Born, to have another musical biopic also triumph shows there's certainly audience appetite, and we should expect to see more. Remi Malek has an excellent chance of walking away with Oscar gold on Sunday night - it's an amazing performance in a film that is clearly a labor of love for all those involved.