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Bohemian Rhapsody-- yes or no?
- Thread starter alaskaleftybass
- Start date
Saw it last weekend, thought it was really well done, went home and watched live aid on you tube, thought it cool how they caught some of the details of that scene like Freddy adjusting his mic pre and Brian tuning
Went to see it last Thursday. Fantastic movie, well worth seeing. Gave me a new appreciation for Freddie Mercury and his talent. When I came home I went to YT and caught the Live Aid show, and I marveled at Freddie's enormous stage presence and singing range.
I wasn't feeling my best last night, getting over a cold. My bride suggested going to a movie. She had been out of town for a conference last week and I was transporting a dog for an animal rescue the weekend before. This coming weekend I'm out of town on Saturday for a gig. Today we are going to be celebrating Thanksgiving with friends, tomorrow night we are celebrating with family. We needed a date night.
She suggested "the Queen movie". I've always liked Queen, enjoyed their music and own almost all of their albums, but I never really followed the band on a personal level. I remember Roger Taylor being frustrated in a "Modern Drummer" interview around the time of "Another one bites the dust", And I remember reading interviews of Brian May in "Guitar Player" which talked mostly bout his gear. But, I ever really paid attention to who they were outside of the music.
We both enjoyed it, I thought that the music was handled better than it is in most movies of this type. My wife and I watched the "Live Aid" clips on you tube when we got home and had a good date night. I'm glad that she dragged me out of the house.
She suggested "the Queen movie". I've always liked Queen, enjoyed their music and own almost all of their albums, but I never really followed the band on a personal level. I remember Roger Taylor being frustrated in a "Modern Drummer" interview around the time of "Another one bites the dust", And I remember reading interviews of Brian May in "Guitar Player" which talked mostly bout his gear. But, I ever really paid attention to who they were outside of the music.
We both enjoyed it, I thought that the music was handled better than it is in most movies of this type. My wife and I watched the "Live Aid" clips on you tube when we got home and had a good date night. I'm glad that she dragged me out of the house.
So my lady wanted to take me to it. First, I got very sick, then she got very busy. I had three other people want to go with me, and I certainly could've seen it alone, but I thought if she wants to take me, then take me she shall.
Last night, she took me.
I loved it. I was glad they made such a big deal about how much Freddie loved Mary. I don't know that the scene where he tried to explain to her that he "might be bisexual" actually happened, but the point it made was lovely.
I didn't give two hoots about historical accuracy. This told the story in a way that made Freddie and Queen very accessible to audiences, and should spark enough interest that viewers can seek out actual biographical information about them. I loved Roger hitting the high note on the title song. That always blew my mind. I don't actually care if that's exactly how it happened; I just love that he ever hit that note at all. Roger Taylor is an amazing singer, and could've been very successful as a front man on his own, but of course, not the level of success with Freddie out front.
My review is GREAT FILM, and if you don't like it, too bad for you.
I loved it.
Last night, she took me.
I loved it. I was glad they made such a big deal about how much Freddie loved Mary. I don't know that the scene where he tried to explain to her that he "might be bisexual" actually happened, but the point it made was lovely.
I didn't give two hoots about historical accuracy. This told the story in a way that made Freddie and Queen very accessible to audiences, and should spark enough interest that viewers can seek out actual biographical information about them. I loved Roger hitting the high note on the title song. That always blew my mind. I don't actually care if that's exactly how it happened; I just love that he ever hit that note at all. Roger Taylor is an amazing singer, and could've been very successful as a front man on his own, but of course, not the level of success with Freddie out front.
My review is GREAT FILM, and if you don't like it, too bad for you.
I loved it.
Finally saw it last night. Malik's performance was quite good but the movie itself was terrible.
It was what you get when you ask the surviving members of a legendary rock band to decide how they would like their story to be told - very connect-the-dots, little conflict, and what conflict there was resolved easily.
The movie ignored the creative process in a way that was infuriating to me. They kept presenting little sketches about how certain songs were conceived that were at best woefully simplified and at worst trite. Bite-sized to make Queen accessible to the masses? Maybe.
The worse offense was how the movie treated Mercury's sexuality. To begin, he was a gay man in the 1970s, which is wholly different than it is now. The movie blew right past any tension, either in Mercury's own mind or among the band members, that may have existed as he struggled to come out. The band itself and its music, as I think has been said in this thread, was constructed around a thinly veiled gay identity, if veiled at all. I came into the movie wanting a look at how that played out internally and what struggles Mercury went through. Didn't happen.
Maybe the worst thing, though, was how the plot began to identify Mercury's gay life and behavior as evil, or as the source of his problems. A few times the plot led him into trouble as he explored the gay side of his identity and he only managed to save himself by returning to the [safe] hetero nest that was the rest of the band. Topping it off with Paul as the villain.
A missed opportunity.
It was what you get when you ask the surviving members of a legendary rock band to decide how they would like their story to be told - very connect-the-dots, little conflict, and what conflict there was resolved easily.
The movie ignored the creative process in a way that was infuriating to me. They kept presenting little sketches about how certain songs were conceived that were at best woefully simplified and at worst trite. Bite-sized to make Queen accessible to the masses? Maybe.
The worse offense was how the movie treated Mercury's sexuality. To begin, he was a gay man in the 1970s, which is wholly different than it is now. The movie blew right past any tension, either in Mercury's own mind or among the band members, that may have existed as he struggled to come out. The band itself and its music, as I think has been said in this thread, was constructed around a thinly veiled gay identity, if veiled at all. I came into the movie wanting a look at how that played out internally and what struggles Mercury went through. Didn't happen.
Maybe the worst thing, though, was how the plot began to identify Mercury's gay life and behavior as evil, or as the source of his problems. A few times the plot led him into trouble as he explored the gay side of his identity and he only managed to save himself by returning to the [safe] hetero nest that was the rest of the band. Topping it off with Paul as the villain.
A missed opportunity.
The Mike Myers casting was weird to me, did not fit. Movie bio-pics are always weird to me, especially if you know or are well read on the artist. The Hendrix one was criminal! I rather see a real good documentary on the artist.
I respect the hard work to choreograph the Live Aid performance step for step with the actual footage. That can't have been easy.
The scene might have been more poignant had they just used the actual footage, since it was really the last scene in the movie. There may have been impact in seeing the real Freddie Mercury after the movie had built up his legend in the minds of the viewers.
Agree/Disagree?
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That was bizarre. He was there 100% because of the Wayne's World joke. They cast a very recognizable face to make a very recognizable joke in a movie that was completely serious in every other way. He wasn't there for any jokes in Inglorious Basterds but that was also weird and took me out of the movie.
I went with my sister and niece to see it, mainly because my niece, who's 27, wanted to see it. We all thought it was great. Some critics piss me off when they say it was "straightwashed", which is total nonsense. Freddie was the main focus but it was also about the band. Good life's lessons in it also. Just a very entertaining flick from start to end.
I ended up watching it after all, last night.
Wow, what a movie.
I didn't know any of Freddie's story, so it sucked me in right away from the moment in the beginning when he was scorned by his father for going out. It was sad watching him live out the rest of his commercially successful life in anguish over the family and personal relationships that troubled him.
As the movie wrapped up, I felt like he was my buddy. In my case, they did an awesome job drawing me in emotionally. I'll probably watch it again.
-Mike
I watched the movie three more times so I could pick up things I missed and because I enjoyed it, even watching it one of those times with captions on.
I did some reading the last couple days, and I have to say I am deeply disappointed how inaccurate the movie is, and on major details.
Here I was believing the movie was mostly accurate, only to find out many of the scenes I really enjoyed, like when he met Mary at Biba, were just all made up. Bummer.
Regardless, I have a renewed like for the band Queen, listening to them all the time now on our Alexa and I built a Queen playlist on a thumb drive for the stereo in my truck.
I think Freddie was someone I would have liked to meet. Not because I am also gay or bisexual, but there are other aspects to his life I can relate to.
-Mike
I did some reading the last couple days, and I have to say I am deeply disappointed how inaccurate the movie is, and on major details.
Here I was believing the movie was mostly accurate, only to find out many of the scenes I really enjoyed, like when he met Mary at Biba, were just all made up. Bummer.
Regardless, I have a renewed like for the band Queen, listening to them all the time now on our Alexa and I built a Queen playlist on a thumb drive for the stereo in my truck.
I think Freddie was someone I would have liked to meet. Not because I am also gay or bisexual, but there are other aspects to his life I can relate to.
-Mike
I enjoyed the movie. I thought they captured the dynamics of being in a band nicely. Was worth it for that. Historical accuracy... eh, these guys weren’t / aren’t important enough for me to prioritize that over a good plot... historical accuracy I’ll save for say Kissinger goes to China or Reagan meets Gorbachev, etc...
I have a new favorite Queen song, 'I'm in Love With My Car'. After that scene in the movie, I had to check it out. It's a rad song.
-Mike
-Mike
If you've not heard the entire Night At The Opera album, I highly recommend it.
It's all over the place stylistically.
Excellent movie, made me realize how much I used to like Queen (saw them in 1977) and how talented they really all were. Loved the movie, saw it three times and I too thought ho hum, when I first heard about it. In fact we flew to Mexico and it was a free movie and I didn't watch it, was not really interested but on the way back I got bored and started watching movies, it was the last one and I missed the ending so had to rent it and watched it twice. The actors are great and the music is excellent and not just the recordings, many of them were live things i had never heard before. I highly recommend it.
Incidentally check out "Ogre Battle", "Now I'm here" "Liar" and "Keep Yourself Alive" (first US single 1973, loved it), these are some of their more rocky tunes, but they have so many great songs on their albums, gems on every one.
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