Bohemian Rhapsody

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. (07/11/2018)

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. (04/11/2018)

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. (09/12/2018)

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. (18/11/2018)

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. (01/11/2018)