Film Review: Bohemian Rhapsody

"We Are Going To Do Great Things. It's An Experience. Love, Tragedy, Joy. It's Something That People Will Feel Belongs To Them..."

Stricken with a long history of production issues and endless failed attempts at bringing the story of rock music's most flamboyant and talented rock vocalist to the big screen, Bohemian Rhapsody finally brings the life of the one and only Freddie Mercury to cinematic fruition, utilising the skills of Mr. Robot star, Rami Malek, in the lead role within a musical biopic which portrays the rising fame and fortune of Mercury's involvement with Queen and the subsequent troubles and tribulations which occurred both in-house between the band members and the much publicised issues present within Mercury's own personal life. Primarily directed by Bryan Singer, the mega-mind behind the best entries within the live action X-Men franchise, yet completed by Dexter Fletcher, director of the upcoming of Elton John biopic, due to Singer famously leaving the project after a wide range of reported unprofessional discrepancies, Bohemian Rhapsody is as overblown, cheesy and undeniably likable as the subject band themselves, a biopic which although sacrifices deep levels of substance for karaoke pleasures and cringe-inducing, fan pleasing nods and knowing gag, still remains entirely watchable, a movie which will undoubtedly serve long-standing fans of the band's music more than those coming to the movie hoping for a scalpel-like incision of one of rock music's most studied and iconic figures of the past fifty years. 

Much in the way Straight Outta Compton was led entirely, particular in the narrative sense, by the remaining members of N.W.A in return for complete back catalogue access and musical rights, an executive decision resulting in particular audiences commenting on slight historical issues involving domestic and drug abuse being slightly paved over in favour of the glamour and fame of musical stardom, Bohemian Rhapsody strangely follows suit, utilising the combined forces of Brian Many and Roger Taylor in the producing roles to focus the story on a depiction of Queen arguing about record labels, song titles and how much of a wet flannel John Deacon seemed to be instead of completely focusing on the figure of Mercury as he rises from baggage collector to international star within only a couple of riotous musical years. With the majority of the paying audience who will rock up to see Bohemian Rhapsody already well aware of Mercury's sexuality and subsequent life-ending illness, Singer's movie does feel slightly underwhelming in attempting to delve deeper into Mercury's personal life, particularly when considering the dedication put into the role by Malek, whose performance is worth the entry fee alone with him managing to pull off the physicality and likeness of Mercury with a sense of coolness and ease. With the musical soundtrack obviously whipping out corker after corker and the stunningly crafted conclusion leaving audiences begging for more, Bohemian Rhapsody is a solid enough musical biopic which although offers nothing new to die-hard Queen fans already well versed in the history of their fallen hero, will satisfy the mass majority of popcorn eaters simply because of the fact that everyone loves Queen. Get on your bikes and ride...

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: Apostle

"Beware Of False Prophets Which Come To You In Sheep's Clothing..."

With an acute and overly clingy fondness for The Raid franchise ever since Iko Uwais first decided to clatter a room full of criminals in an exceptionally violent and undeniably impressive fashion on the orders of director, Gareth Evans, it's fair to say that no matter what the Welshman decides to take on next as a film project, I am instantly hooked and ready to savour whatever falls my way. Departing the world of Indonesian crime for the time being, Evans' latest, Apostle, drops onto Netflix this week, following on from the likes of big name directors such as Paul Greengrass and Alex Garland who have gleefully taken the steaming service's cash in order to develop their own movie on their own terms in return for exclusive streaming rights, and what Evans brings to the table is an overripe, hyper-violent and ridiculously entertaining period horror which revels in cramming together as many classic horror riffs as humanly possible into a narrative which sees Dan Stevens' (Legion) Thomas Richardson head to a remote island off the coast of Wales in order to infiltrate an extremist cult led by Michael Sheen's (Frost/Nixon) Prophet Malcolm who are holding his beloved sister hostage as they await payment from Richardson's rich father.

From the synopsis of Apostle alone, the immediate and obvious reference point is of course Robin Hardy's 1973 British horror classic, The Wicker Man, with Stevens essentially a covert cardboard cutout of Edward Woodward's Sgt. Neil Howie, albeit with lesser inner turmoils regarding the discovery of an extreme new religion and the fact that due to his willingness to remain hidden, violence could potentially reveal itself at any corner. Whilst the film seems to begin with an air of seriousness in its' introduction to Sheen's crazed cult leader and Lucy Boynton's (Murder on the Orient Express) reluctant daughter figure intent on being more than just the offspring of a prophet, the more the movie veers into a crazed blend of Silent Hill and the blood-splatting carnage of a film such as You're Next, the sillier it undeniably becomes, resulting in various X-rated set pieces which remind you that Gareth Evans really does like playing with things so over-the-top and bloodthirsty, they are guaranteed to make you squeal. Whilst the narrative does wander at times and the central mystery sort of veers off course in favour of the concluding bout of violence, the performances are dedicated, particularly from Sheen who gives his best blend of Shakespeare and Charles Manson as the leading antagonist, and the early twentieth century aesthetic is wonderfully creepy, and whilst the whole is indeed lesser than either of The Raid movies, Apostle is an interesting and very silly genre piece which ranks up there with the better originals to come from Netflix this year. 

Overall Score: 7/10