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John McCann says the music biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ will indeed rock you…
Just a short few weeks after the excellent A Star is Born, Tralee Omniplex plays host to another musical feature with Bryan Singer’s, Freddie Mercury biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ enjoying pride of place at numerous MAXX screenings this week.
Bohemian Rhapsody traces the meteoric rise of Queen through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, ups and downs as Mercury’s hectic lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where the band deliver one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music.
As a fan of the band, Bohemian Rhapsody was a film that I was very much looking forward to and thankfully did not disappoint with director Singer perfectly capturing the aura and energy of the band and in particular their charismatic lead singer, throughout what seemed like a short 135 minutes running time.
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Special mention has to go to Rami Malek who is simply outstanding as the larger than life Freddie Mercury, perfectly capturing his mannerisms and personality in a truly magnificent performance.
Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury
It may be formulaic in structure and brush over certain elements of Mercury’s flamboyant life but ultimately it is the energy, authenticity and electrifying soundtrack that results in a satisfying celebration of one of rock music’s greatest bands.
The twenty minute reenacting of the bands famous Live Aid set is worth the price of your cinema ticket alone as the viewer is immersed in that famous day in 1985 with Malek mimicking every Mercury movement and sweeping the audience along joyfully in the process.
Overall, Bohemian Rhapsody is an extremely enjoyable film that whilst may not be an instant classic has enough admirable qualities to please it’s audience with foot stomping rock classics, recreated impeccably thanks to a talented director and a colossal lead performance from Rami Malek.
4/5
• For more of John McCann’s movie reviews, check out his Facebook page here and website here
