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Bohemian Rhapsody

8/10

Stars: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers

Director: Dexter Fletcher

Bohemian Rhapsody - scripted by Anthony McCarten - delivers great music and some genuinely moving drama in the tradition of popular, sanitised-for-major-audience-approval biopics. Which means that, while we learn that Mercury ('I think I'm bisexual') died of AIDS, the film's emphasis is on Mercury, Queen and their rise from pub performers to world fame, rather than dwelling on Mercury's homosexual life.

Reportedly the film's production was turbulent, leading to the fortuitous departure of Sacha Baron Cohen, leaving Mercury to be memorably brought to life by US TV star Malek while former child-star-turned-filmmaker Fletcher does a good job (director Bryan Singer, like Cohen, left the picture after disagreements).

Performances are effectively to the point (Boynton in particular scores as Mercury's fiancee) with Malek, inescapably and rightly stealing the show as Mercury.

When he states 'Tonight I'm going to have a really good time' he could well also be speaking for cinemagoers seeking a persuasive musical biopic.

Alan Frank

UK/USA 2018. UK Distributor: 20th Century Fox. Colour.
128 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 1, Swearing 1.

Review date: 08 Mar 2019

DVD review