I just saw
Bohemian Rhapsody for a second time. I loved, Loved, LOVED
Bohemian Rhapsody. I was too young to have followed the band at the time. There were also a lot of great hard rock bands at the time. And a lot of singers doing sensational stuff on stage, wearing fantastical costumes and having great guitar solos. Queen was among them. I listened to a lot of their songs on the radio and remember when Freddie Mercury died. I had a couple dear friends and a lot of coworkers die during that time due to AIDS. It's not till years later, listening to "classic hard rock" radio stations that I fully listened to songs I hadn't heard in a while and fully appreciated the quality of music much of it was.
So, I loved going back in time and seeing the retrospective of Queen. The drugs & partying were there in the movie. There were at least 4 scenes showing the partying as well as the scene with Mary, where the drugs are in plain sight. Also a person who intentionally betrayed Freddie said outright in a TV interview that Freddie slept with a lot of guys, often on the same night at the same parties. That was the Pre-AIDS era of that. Straight & gay people, especially rock bands & musicians, slept with fans & groupies. Even Donny Osmond said he would have done it, instead of spending the nights alone in his hotel rooms after concerts, if it hadn't been for the strict upbringing of his church & family and being disciplined enough to follow it, however much he had been tempted. And he said YES he was definitely tempted.
How much more evidence does one need? It's NOT what this movie is about, nor did Queen want to focus on the party aspect of that time period. If one needs more evidence of the partying of that era, there are plenty of other movies & documentaries about it. If one needs a chronicle of how AIDS ravaged the gay community during that time, the HBO docu-drama called,
And The Band Played On, with Matthew Modine, is a fantastic one.
The movie IS about the journey of Freddie Mercury & Queen. They were simply human beings, misfits & outsiders who wanted to make great music, connect with the audiences, and to love and be loved. Freddie particularly, and at a terrible cost. The movie shows many instances where Freddie felt increasingly isolated and lonely, especially as Mary moved on to live her own life.
In various interviews, with Jimmy Kimmel & on the Red Carpet at the Golden Globes, Rami Malek was asked what was the audition process for Bohemian Rhapsody? They actually approached Rami. It was the furthest thing from his mind to even think he'd ever be considered to play Freddie Mercury, even if he wanted to, as the only thing he's been known for is as his character on,
Mr. Robot, as the alienated, anti-social loner, who doesn't talk to people and only wears one costume the whole series - a hoodie. Rami said they said they saw something in his eyes. He thinks it was a bit of mischief that they saw.
I think it is precisely that he could play a lonely misfit and show us Freddie Mercury's inner life underneath being the front man, in spite of all the partying, booze, drugs & fame. LOTS of actors could play the flamboyant, larger than life, Freddie Mercury. As already stated, and previously chosen, Sasha Baron Cohen, being one of them who could
portray Freddie - and trash him. I'm glad Cohen didn't play him. From what little I've seen of Cohen, he likes to "wink" at the audience. "Watch me 'portraying' this character." He's a great impressionist. But, I think, he would have made the movie all about himself - not Freddie. (Interestingly, Cohen's wife, Isla Fisher, is a dead ringer for the actress that played Mary.)
After the rewrite by the writer for
The Theory of Everything, (the Stephen Hawking story,) and re-direction of the storyline and where it now ends, I think Rami Malek was perfect. He didn't
portray Freddie or simply copy all the moves. Rami
embodied Freddie, not just the loud, brash, larger than life qualities, but the desperate loner inside it all, that the surviving band members want known. He actually took care in playing Freddie. Thus, took care of Queen. If one wants a trash-umentary, watch the VH-1 channel. I'm sure they probably already have one of Queen.
I'm glad Rami won the Golden Globe.
I think this will be Rami's best role of his career. What other role will he ever have to be so big and sensational, yet so desperately vulnerable & lonely too? I'd love to see him so honored, sweeping the SAG Awards & the Oscars too. (But, I think Christian Bale will win. But, possibly more because Hollywood wants to send a message to Washington than he is the best this year.
Although, that might not be fair to say, as I haven't seen Christian's performance. And Hollywood so loves to see when actors transform themselves physically for a role as well as act it.)
If you've already seen the movie, here is a side by side comparison of Freddie Mercury and Rami's performance of him at the Live Aid concert. (If you haven't seen it yet, WAIT till you've seen the movie, It is
worth the wait.) Rami had said he worked with a movement coach throughout the movie. I think that person deserves a special oscar too.
I think Rami's future will be in playing more socially awkward characters, just not as big. Here's a moment of him in real life at the Golden Globes. He had just won the GG for Best Actor and was just offstage, as
Bohemian Rhapsody was named Best Picture. Still in shock, he joins the producers & Queen band members onstage. Watch as he tries to talk to Nicole, as I *think* she didn't realize it was Rami. But, probably thought a GG usher had come from the side of the stage to move her off from center stage. Poor Rami!