Bohemian Rhapsody

Since I am a big Queen fan, and people I know said they liked Bohemian Rhapsody a lot, I took a chance on it. Unfortunately, the critical consensus is on target. For a band who strove to be different and unique, this film could have been made in the 1950s. It's a standard music biopic, using the Behind the Music template, but even further back. It has a structure similar to The Benny Goodman Story.

The film is ostensibly a biography of Freddie Mercury, who was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar. When we pick up the story, he is a baggage handler at Heathrow, but writes songs in his spare time. He is a big fan of the group Smile, and happens to approach them on the day their lead singer quits (even if that's true, it's a groaner). He belts a few bars and is hired.

The group also consists of guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon. They change their name to Queen (Freddie's idea--no word on whether there was resistance), cut an album, and land Elton John's agent. Pretty soon they are a success, although they are turned down by a record company guy (Mike Myers, under lots of makeup) who insists that their new song, "Bohemian Rhapsody," is too long. He rues his decision.

The band hits the heights and plays stadiums, while Freddie (Rami Malek) struggles to figure out his sexual identity. He has a girlfriend (Lucy Boynton) and proposes to her, but realizes he is bisexual. He has a relationship with an A&R man who tricks him into firing his agent. Meanwhile the band has more hits, showing us how May came up with "We Will Rock You" and Deacon plucking the opening notes to "Another One Bites the Dust."

All of this is fine for Queen fans, but there is strangely very little conflict. The band are like a family, and it's only towards the end of the film, when Mercury tells them he's making solo albums, do things get touchy (it's strange--I really liked Queen but never knew Mercury put out two records of his own. I should check them out).

All is forgiven, as Mercury reveals he has AIDS and Queen perform at Live Aid. The end.

Frankly, there's not enough drama to make "Bohemian Rhapsody" that interesting. There's the usual stuff--he disappoints his traditional parents, but has a hug with Dad at the end, and finally realizes his lover is using him. But Queen seems like the nicest bunch of guys. If someone wants to make a wild rock band bio, try doing Fleetwood Mac.

Malek is pretty good as Mercury, although of course he doesn't do his own singing. He does manage to capture what made Mercury a great showman. The actors playing the rest of the band are also good, particularly Brian Hardy as Taylor, who is comic relief (and I do like Taylor's song, "I'm in Love With My Car").

There are some liberties taken. Queen fans will notice that the chronology is off--"Fat-Bottomed Girls" comes too early, and "We Will Rock You" comes too late. But what's most annoying about this film is that the director, Dexter Fletcher, takes no chances. The concert footage, particularly the Live Aid scenes, are well done, but the story is blah. The only reason to see this film is for the music, and it may make you dig out your old Queen records when you get home.