Bohemian Rhapsody is a 2018 biographical film about the British rock band Queen. It follows singer Freddie Mercury’s life from his joining the band in 1970 to their Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium in 1985. The film is a British-American joint venture produced by 20th Century Fox, New Regency, GK Films, and Queen Films, with Fox serving as distributor. Directed by Bryan Singer, it is written by Anthony McCarten, and produced by Graham King and Queen manager Jim Beach. It stars Rami Malek as Mercury, with Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech, and Mike Myers in supporting roles. Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor served as creative and musical consultants.
Born in Zanzibar to India Parsi parents, Farrook Bulsara, who also lived in Bombay for a few years, moves with his parents to England in 1964. After studying in college he would work at Heathrow as a baggage handler. In 1970 he attends a club performance by the band Smile, whose singer quits later that night. Freddie sings for drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May and impresses them enough that he becomes their new singer. They add bass player John Deacon and change their name to Queen. Freddie also becomes engaged to Biba shop assistant Mary Austin, who he met for the first time the same night that he sang for Taylor & May. Queen play gigs across Britain until they sell their van to produce their debut album. The album hits the charts in America, and, during the band’s U.S. tour, Freddie begins questioning his sexuality.
We then see how his lifestyle changes with his with Paul Prenter, the band’s day-to-day manager. Mary breaks up with Freddie when he comes out to her as bisexual, although she assures him that he is gay. The band’s success continues through to the early 1980s, but tensions arise over the direction of their music and changes in Freddie’s attitude resulting from his relationship with Paul. In 1980, after a lavish party at his home, Freddie falls for Jim Hutton, a waiter at the party. They soon part ways, with Jim telling Freddie to find him when he learns to like himself. A press conference to promote the 1982 album Hot Space is hijacked by the press, who bombard Freddie with questions about his personal life and sexuality, to which Freddie responds with insults and refusals towards the press.
Freddie, urged by Paul, signs a $4 mil solo contract with CBS records and the band upset at him wanting to do things alone splits up. He moves to Munich in 1984 to work on his first solo album Mr. Bad Guy and engages in gay orgies with Paul. Mary, now pregnant, visits and urges him to return to the band, as they have been offered a spot in Bob Geldof’s benefit concert Live Aid at Wembley Stadium. Discovering that Paul withheld this news from him, an enraged Freddie severs ties with him. In retaliation, Paul goes public about Freddie’s sexual escapades. Freddie returns to London to ask for forgiveness from his bandmates and manager Jim Beach. They are reconciled and are given a last-minute slot in Live Aid. With the outbreak of AIDS spreading worldwide, Freddie discovers that he is infected.
He reveals this to his bandmates during a rehearsal, and they embrace. On the day of Live Aid, he is reunited with Hutton and Mary, and reconnects with his family with his father’s Zoroastrian maxim, “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds.” The band perform at Live Aid, performing “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Radio Ga Ga”, “Hammer to Fall” and “We Are the Champions”. The Live Aid set is a massive success, helping increase the rate of donations during the event. Beach and the remaining members of Queen create, in 1992, the Mercury Phoenix Trust to help combat AIDS worldwide.
We see how some of their famous hits were born, how the success touched global heights but the touching thing is his friendship & love for Mary. He bought her a house next to his mansion and took care of her. There are a bunch of historical inaccuracies in the film, but it still is a very good film. Despite the mixed critical reception, the film received numerous accolades, including five nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Malek.
It also won Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actor – Drama (Malek) at the 76th Golden Globe Awards, and was nominated for the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture, BAFTA Award for Best British Film and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. For his performance, Malek was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Award, BAFTA Award and Screen Actors Guild Award, among others, for Best Actor.
I give this film a 9 outta 10!
