Singer-song writer Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) teams up with three other musicians (Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello) to make music history.
Doug says...
Bohemian Rhapsody is problematic to review because it’s highly imperfect. As has been pointed out by countless reviewers so far, it’s actually pretty irresponsible in its hasty attempt to ‘straight-wash’ Freddie Mercury. His forays into the gay scene are pretty much shown as all-round negative, while the writers chronologically moved his AIDS diagnosis to before LiveAid, to make that concert a sort of triumphant farewell. His long term partner is reduced to a short scene where he’s a waiter (he wasn’t a waiter) and a footnote at the end of the film. I get it, this isn’t great.
But where it succeeds is that it brings to life - vividly - just how powerful and exciting Queen and Mercury were, and continue to be in the history of modern music. Scenes where ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ are constructed are powerful, mainly because we know just how good these tunes are. Rami Malek does a great job, showing the transformation from long haired dreamer to tank-topped icon; and those last twenty minutes as he recreates Live Aid are astonishing in their pure technicality.
I was moved to tears at several points, but it wasn’t really because of the film, or the acting. It was because the music of Queen and the story of Freddie Mercury (the legend, I should say) are so gripping and important in himself. He has become a gay icon, glittering in the face of death. They underscore it well here, with songs like ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ playing gently as Freddie receives the diagnosis. A decent film that succeeds mainly by reminding us how utterly wonderful its subjects were and their work continues to be. For a real tribute though, you want to see We Will Rock You on stage. I dare you to listen to their performance of ‘Only The Good Die Young’ and not bawl your eyes out.
Mark: 5/10 (but for Freddie Mercury a solid 15/10, always. Love you Freddie).
Paul says...
The fundamental problem with Bohemian Rhapsody is that it tries to squeeze an interesting story about relatively uninteresting things. Freddie Mercury aside, the remaining members of Queen are three very ordinary blokes with great talent and good ears for progressive music. They met, they played together, wrote some music, got a record deal, and it was a massive hit with audiences from the mid-'70s onwards, and their career trajectory remained high right up until Mercury’s untimely end. So in terms of movie biopics, Queen’s rise to fame is hardly comparable to Gandhi’s struggle with the British Empire and therefore I question it’s worth as a Best Picture winner or even as a nominee. My cynical side thinks that the Academy felt it needed more LGBT representation in its nominees, but maybe I’m being too cruel.
However, it does benefit from a phenomenal performance from Rami Malek. He especially comes alive when he almost perfectly mirrors Mercury’s performing style. I don’t think he will win Best Actor (it looks like Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale are the frontrunners for that). Nonetheless, personally I think the film should have been all about him, with much less time being given to the early days of Queen or to May, Taylor and Deacon. If the film had focussed on his later years and his issues with his sexuality and his health, it could have been more hard-hitting, more interesting and more controversial (in a positive way).
I’m not too bothered by the lapses in historical accuracy. I quite liked the use of Live Aid as a framing device and climax to the film. It emphasises just how magnificent Queen were to see live and how they effortlessly dominated the concert. It’s a real shame that my generation will never be able to see the complete foursome doing a comeback tour. So all in all, whilst I’m surprised by the academy’s selection of this film for the Best Picture race, it’s at least well-acted, enthusiastic and utilises and celebrates Queen’s music and influence in a way that will make you proud of British music.
Mark: 6/10
Black Panther plot intro
Newly-crowned king of the hidden African nation of Wakanda, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) finds his reign threatened by an evil family member (Michael B. Jordan), a terrorist (Andy Serkis) and an untrustworthy ally (Daniel Kaluuya).
Doug says...
Doug + Superhero Films = Snoozetime. I don’t like ‘em. I never got into comics, I don’t like the deference to ‘masculinity’ and the women are often shoved into tiny male-gaze-pleasing outfits. Apart from the Nolan Batman Films, I’ve never got through one. So I think we know my opinion of Black Panther.
Wrong! I loved it! It’s a great, gripping story that is literally INUNDATED with the strongest female characters I’ve seen in a film for ages. This film belongs entirely to Danai Gurira who plays the head of the all-female special forces, Okoye. Her comic timing is flawless, her power unquestioned, and at no point do we get a backstory showing her weakening or explaining why people are okay with her power. They just are. She’s just great. I could write an essay about how Okoye is the character we need to see replicated across so many genres. She’s necessary.
The plot is fun, I liked Wakanda and director Ryan Coogler is giving the people what they want with a multitude of topless scenes for both Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan. There’s even a car chase scene which I (unusually) enjoyed for the great blend of comedy, thrills and drama. I don’t necessarily know that it belongs in the ‘Best Film’ category but I found it a lot more enjoyable than many other Oscar nominees. Weird to see Martin Freeman doing an American accent too.
Mark: 7/10
Paul says...
A superhero movie being nominated for Best Picture is quite something. Since the proposed “Popular Film” category has been postponed, it’s good to see a film that is genuinely popular among audiences, with no attempts at esotericism, as opposed to the long string of historical dramas, and talky political studies.
Like all good superhero movies, Black Panther maintains a sense of fun, especially during a very creative car chase sequence in which Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o get to show off their comic timing as well as their stage fighting skills. Visually it’s stunning, and I loved the idea of a futuristic African nation being hidden from the smug eyes of the West. It also touches on issues that black-oriented movies usually study such as poverty, gang violence, racism and political corruption, without becoming portentous or losing its focus on contributing to the Marvel universe.
But for me it’s the weakest of the nominees we’ve seen so far. I think because, like most superhero films, the plot is absolute nonsense. Why does the late King’s brother betray his nation anyway? Why does Daniel Kaluuya’s character turn on our hero? Why is one of the Wakanda tribes so hostile to everyone else? And why do they suddenly change sides? And what on earth is the point in Martin Freeman’s character?! None of these questions are really answered, but these events happen because, well, it’s an action film and we need these essential dramatic ingredients. With the politics of Wakanda and the characters being so simplistic, the film ran out of steam in the second hour. The death of the character who is set up as the main antagonist only to be replaced by another is meant to be a bit of twist, but it lacked dramatic oomph. And the final battle scene felt a bit limp, especially when compared to the emotional turmoil of the final battles in The Lord of the Rings or The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
But Black Panther still scores a few points thanks to its well-drawn female characters, its unexpected glimpses of humour, and the fact that its important to see more films like this where non-white actors are unquestionably fulfilling the roles that white actors have dominated for decades.
Mark: 4/10
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