Bohemian Rhapsody: This Queen is not dead

So, when I came home last night after watching Bohemian Rhapsody, I was asked by Karl  ‘So how was the movie?’ Unfortunately for him, all I was able to say in that moment was: ‘I need to cool off’. Well yeah, even now, writing this I feel like I havent’t really left a movie theater and I’m still watching  a show. Yes, a show. And to be honest, one of the best I’ve ever seen.

But anyway, let’s get slowly to the point(s).

I’ve never been a "die-hard" Queen’s fan. I don’t know how many records they’ve made, how many singles released. What was the first song they performed together or how they’ve even met. But I do enjoy their music as I enjoy a good music in general and always have been finding Freddie Mercury as very unusual and fascinating persona.

Now, I know there’s plenty of high-ranking reviews that went viral on Facebook, reviews you - have – to- count – with – otherwise – you - suck, saying that ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is nothing like the real Queen’s history. Reviews pointing how many times “Bohemian Rhapsody” fooled us. But you know what? For the very first time in my “career” of so called “reviewer” I want to say I DON’T CARE ABOUT THAT. I didn’t come to see that movie to find out how many lovers Freddie exactly slept with or how many cats he owned. I went to see that movie because trailer promised me a catchy story of one of the best bands in music history with the best songs they’ve made. And I got more than that.

Not like I’m trying to start a riot here, but DON’T TRUST THE CRITICS and go find out about that movie yourself. I’ve read a lot of comments on youtube under the official trailer, I’ve read comments under all those reviews, and what can I say? People love “Bohemian Rhapsody”. I would say, it could be even called as an phenomenon, cause I can’t remember when was the last time, that viewers were so agreeable about movie (in a positive way of course).

 Going a step further, you could actually ask yourself, who are movies made for? Critics or let’s just say, people?

Somebody might simply ask: You say we shouldn’t trust the critics, but why should we trust you? The answer is even simpler. Because I am not one. I have no interest in slandering that movie only to make myself feel better and add some points to my sad ego. “Because I know better than you, poor, stupid crowd, hungry for cheap entertainment with no psychological depth”. I’m just another random person, who can appreciate a good piece of movie and does it, when it actually deserves it.

I’m aware that there are moments not exactly by the book but so what? Movie will never be exactly the same like book was and will never be the same as life is. Because that’s what makes it different. It’s an act of creation, even when we are talking about biopic. Movie will never tell you the whole story of an exact person, nor the people who knew her will do it, but that person itself. That’s why with every biography written or filmed  there always be an untold story. And there always will be a controversy.

For example, there are people saying that even the concert’s parts might be satisfying, the rest of the plot and basically the story of Freddie Mercury is too shallow. That his complicated personality, the demons he struggled with deserve better. I got their point. It does deserve better.

But not in that convention.

The way his private life, his issues are being shown in the movie – it just hits the point. The action doesn’t slow down too much, it doesn’t make you feel bored. Sometimes it’s just a song, a glimpse of an eye, a gesture or just a few words said. And it works. It really, really works.

I laughed, I cried, sometimes was shocked and pissed. I sang the songs, I clapped my hands and stamped my feet during the hits that knows the whole world, even if never heard about the band called Queen. This only shows how huge impact the band or let’s just say it out loud – Freddie Mercury had and still has.

Rami Malek was perfect in every detail. You looked at him and wanted to say “Freddie Mercury alive and kicking!”.

But there’s nothing good about just trying to copycat somebody and making an effort to convince the audience “Hey look at me, I am Freddie Mercury!”. 

Rami Malek wasn’t Mercury’s copy cat. He actually was Freddie Mercury he wanted to be. He made me forget how actual Mercury looked and acted like. And I really don’t mind. Because he was real. In every move he made, every look he gave, every word he said. Actually I could say the same thing about the rest of the cast, that was chosen to that biopic perfectly. There was no dissonance between Mercury and the rest of the band. They all created some kind of symbiosis on the screen what probably made me sank more into the movie and forgot that hey! They actually are just actors there!

I wasn’t watching just a biographical movie that night. I was watching one of the best music performances I’ve ever seen (the last 25 minutes is basically a Quenn’s performance at Live Aid but now in HD and on the big screen) and also got a good, satisfying and very inspiring story. Story that moved me and made me thinking. Story about the legend, yes, let’s don’t be afraid of using that word. I recommend that movie to everybody. EVERYBODY.

 photo source: bookmyshow.com