Growing up, I used to listen to the “Greatest Hits” album by Queen. I would rock out to classics like “We Will Rock You,” “Don’t Stop Me Now”, and “Another One Bites the Dust.”
I would bring the CD to school and listen to it on a portable CD player.
So when I heard that there would be a biopic about Queen, the old memories of singing along in my parents’ living room came flooding back.
Bohemian Rhapsody came out last Friday, and takes an in-depth look at the lead singer of Queen. Focusing on Freddie Mercury’s personal life and how the band went from playing colleges and bars in 1970, to worldwide success and their legendary 1985 Live Aid concert performance.
It was directed by Bryan Singer, who is known for directing various X-Men movies and The Usual Suspects, and had current Queen band members Brian May and Roger Taylor serve as executive music producers. It took in $50 million in its opening weekend and over $141 million in total, and it’s projected to stay at number one throughout the week.
The movie itself was beautifully done. While it is listed as a drama, it does have its funny moments while also keeping it serious at the right times. For anyone who likes Queen, this movie is a must see.
While the signature music of this band of misfits and the best pump-up music of all time has been gone for a while, Freddie comes back to life in this two hour-long movie based on his life with Queen.
Going into the movie not knowing much about Freddie Mercury’s personal life made it even better to see because I didn’t know what was going to happen. Rami Malek plays the iconic singer and nails every aspect of his character from his infamous moustache and colourful outfits to his over-the-top flamboyant personality.
When compared to the actual 1985 Live Aid concert, it’s hard to tell the difference because of how well Malek plays the role. The performances by Malek and the rest of the cast really sell the authenticity of their characters and make it look like you are watching the real people they’re portraying.
The movie also balances the story and musical portions perfectly.
One minute you’ll be taken in by the fight between Freddie and Roger Taylor and the next you’ll be singing along with “Another One Bites the Dust.”The personal life story of Freddie Mercury looks at how he struggled at first with his sexuality in the 70s and 80s, a time where the AIDS pandemic unfairly stigmatized homosexuals and bisexuals and how that had an effect on his relationship with Mary Austin.
It also really shows how Queen as a band rose from their early days through the 70s and 80s, the chemistry and the dramatics of the band, to showing how much Freddie saw them as family. The main messages of the movie would be how important family is to someone.
Be it band members, to former lovers , to mothers and fathersFreddie Mercury died on Nov. 24 1991 due to AIDS-related pneumonia.
While the signature music of this band of misfits and the best pump-up music of all time has been gone for a while, Freddie comes back to life in this two hour-long movie based on his life with Queen.
Bohemian Rhapsody is a movie for the ages and it’s one of the best movies of 2018. By the end, you’ll be singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Are The Champions” all the way home.