Queen is undeniably one of the most influential bands of all time, being commonly ranked with the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, so it’s not a surprise that a motion picture based on the group was greenlit and put into production. But after a tumultuous ten-year development cycle and concerns over the direction of the film, does “Bohemian Rhapsody” do Queen justice, or is it a shameless cash grab that manipulates audiences’ nostalgia of the popular band?

“Bohemian Rhapsody” chronicles the struggles and triumphs of the rock band Queen from their first album all the way to their iconic performance at the 1985 concert Live Aid. With more than 15 years of time for the film to cover, the pace is brisk and at times a little too brisk. Some characters and story beats tend to suffer because of an odd urgency to move the plot forward. With “Bohemian Rhapsody” clocking in at a little over two hours, it’s understandable as to why the film progresses in the way that it does. Unfortunately, this is one of the few circumstances where a longer film would have benefited the experience as a whole.

While this shortcoming does compromise some aspects of the movie, it can often be overlooked by the astronomical performances the film has to offer. Emmy winner Rami Malek is absolutely captivating as Freddie Mercury. His performance is one of the few circumstances in cinema where an actor completely transforms himself into the individual they’re supposed to be portraying. Rami Malek isn’t acting as Freddie Mercury, he is Freddie Mercury. Malek’s performance cannot not be praised enough, and it would be surprising if he were not to obtain an Academy Award nomination later this year. The other members of the band are also incredibly portrayed. Gwilym Lee encompasses the collected leadership of guitarist Brian May; Ben Hardy captures the focused nature of drummer Roger Taylor, and Joseph Mazzello emphasizes the importance bass guitarist John Deacon had as a part of the group.These performers portray the band excellently and thanks to great costume, makeup, and casting departments each member strikes a strong resemblance to their real life counter parts.

The band and the interplay they have with each other is fascinating, particularly in a number of scenes where the film shows the unorthodox composing process Queen utilized to channel their unique sound and music. These moments are some of the film’s best because of how entertaining they are due to the group’s chemistry. Because of this, it is a shame the film only has a handful of these scenes. Furthermore, for those expecting more of the band in the film may leave disappointed. While Queen is a big focus of the film, Mercury gets most of the attention.

Regarding Mercury and his personal life, the film addresses what it needs to address, and moves on from it. It doesn’t over-exaggerate aspects of his personal life, and delivers what seems to be a realistic portrayal of his personal struggles. Malek’s performance contributes greatly to the depth this part of the film delivers on, and the situation Mercury gets in to in the final act of the film helps ground what is typically a larger than life figure in reality.

Biographical pictures can at times be very boring, but “Bohemian Rhapsody” is able to dodge this bullet thanks to great editing and its engaging cinematography. Cuts are smooth and transitions into other scenes are uniquely and elegantly executed. The editing in this film is almost akin to an Edgar Wright film and helps keep the viewing experience fresh and interesting for the audience. Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel is bold in his decisions, and the movie is all the better for it. Sigel delivers some really awesome shots and his work in the Live Aid portion of the film truly captures the immense size of the crowd. Really excellent work is done here. More credit must go to Sigel for directing some scenes of the film when credited director Bryan Singer mysteriously stopped showing up to production.

While Singer gets the sole directing credit, which may be surprising due to his absence and eventual termination from the project due to a falling out with the studio, Dexter Fletcher, Singer’s replacement after his termination, is able to keep his directing style consistent with Singer’s. Currently, the studio has not confirmed which scenes Fletcher or Singer directed, but they really don’t need to. Fletcher is successful in not compromising the original vision of the film and is able to keep “Bohemian Rhapsody” from falling apart, which is a common occurrence for many movies that go through similar development struggles. Kudos to Fletcher (who remains uncredited in the film) and his team for pulling the whole movie together in the home stretch. Ironically, Fletcher will be directing the upcoming Elton John film “Rocketman”, so expect a similar experience to this coming out in the spring of next year.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” features all of Queen’s greatest hits. We are The Champions, Another One Bites the Dust, Somebody to Love and the titular Bohemian Rhapsody are all used to some degree in the film. What’s so compelling about hearing all of these songs is that it reminds the audience of the overall quantity and quality songs Queen was able to release during their prime. Bigger Queen fans may be slightly disappointed by the film’s neglect of some of the band’s more experimental tracks such as The Prophet’s Song, March of the Black Queen and Ogre Battle. Either way, listening to these songs is a real treat and the film utilizes them to great effect.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” will be a different viewing experience for everyone. If you are unfamiliar with the band, you may feel like the film is average. If you are a huge Queen fan, some aspects of the film may bother you. But the emotional element the film contains is universal to all audiences.  The finale of this film was incredibly compelling; so compelling in fact that it had me in tears.

This look into Queen’s history isn’t perfect. At times it feels rushed and loses its direction. But the quality of the performances, the technical aspects of this film, the emotional elements and the sheer fact that this movie came out and is enjoyable despite losing its director halfway through production redeems it. Malek’s performance alone is reason enough to watch this film. Simply put, it’s worth a watch and afterwards a listen of all Queen’s greatest hits.

7.8/10