Film biographies about great artists are often dogged by the same problem.
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The great musicians, actors and painters whose lives are brought to the screen are sometimes geniuses, and if not quite that, they at least have a talent, a charisma, an x-factor that is difficult, if not impossible, to replicate.
Take for instance Girl with a Pearl Earring. Colin Firth is rock solid as the artist Vermeer, but we can’t see him paint like Vermeer because, who can?
Kurt Russell gave his portrayal of Elvis everything he had, but let’s face it, who could sit on the King’s throne? Jersey Boys is a great musical, but the spotlight never touches the true charisma of Frankie Valli.
Cate Blanchett’s sensational portrayal of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There won her great acclaim, but again the enigma escapes imitation.
So, given the enormity of the task, it was pretty amazing to watch Rami Malek transcend the limitations of mortality and step into the body and soul of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
This is an incredible performance and it was no surprise that Malek took home the coveted Best Actor Oscar at the recent Academy Awards.
Mercury was one of the most beloved and controversial entertainers on the planet and Malek channels him in a passionate and moving performance.
Mercury was one of the most beloved and controversial entertainers on the planet and Malek channels him in a passionate and moving performance.
He also saves the film.
Well, he is the film.
And it's a pretty conventional plot. An outsider has to struggle with family expectations, race issues, his own sexuality and a pretty awful set of teeth to find the acceptance and success he longs for.
In the rare moments Malik's Mercury does not occupy the screen things fall pretty flat, but like Freddie, he energises every scene he is in, and his Live Aid “performance” is outstanding, and even more emotionally charged than when we watched the original, knowing as we do that Mercury was already suffering the effects of AIDS.
And that’s really saying something because Queen’s performance that day was one of the most unforgettable in rock’n’roll history.
At a packed Wembley Stadium and with the world watching, Queen stole the show and established themselves forever as true entertainment royalty.
To tell you the truth I struggle to remember another band that played at Live Aid.
The whole film lived or died on the recreation of that performance, and it was Malik’s triumph as he got every audacious strut and swagger of Queen's mercurial frontman down pat.
Don’t miss this one. It helps if you’re a fan of Queens music, but it’s not essential.
Critics of the film will have every right to suggest that Bohemian Rhapsody sanitises the wild life of Freddie Mercury, and much has been made of the difficulty of bringing it to the screen, but ultimately, this film rocks!