[Film] Bohemian Rhapsody - Nov 02 '18

[Jag]

Hard pass after learning about this tonight: completely skipping aids and only dealing with him when around women.

The fuck.

My understanding is that complaint was only about the trailer (which includes a very brief shot of him with a guy) and promotional copy (which references a "life-threatening illness" without saying that it was AIDS). I'd be shocked if the movie was so blind.

Maybe they should just change AIDS to diabetes.

[Holman]

Hard pass after learning about this tonight: completely skipping aids and only dealing with him when around women.

The fuck.

My understanding is that complaint was only about the trailer (which includes a very brief shot of him with a guy) and promotional copy (which references a "life-threatening illness" without saying that it was AIDS). I'd be shocked if the movie was so blind.

The coverage I've been seeing doesn't limit it to the trailer. Apparently Cohen quit the project because it was shaping up as little more than a rock 'n roll story about the band's career, not a serious treatment of Freddie's position in culture and the 1980s.

I love Queen, but I won't be buying a ticket here. In 2018, who the hell makes a Freddie Mercury movie that's coy about homosexuality and evasive on AIDS?

[McNutt]

Seen it all. Whats wrong with just having an upbeat movie? Im hoping they dont even show his death. Just trail off at Live Aid or Wembley in 86.

That wouldn't be a very interesting movie in my opinion. Mercury was a tragic figure and I've seen interviews where he said he didn't feel like he had any friends. His band always seemed to support him even throughout his sickness. He recorded Innuendo while very ill and The Show Must Go On is too good to believe it was sung by a guy on death's door. So yeah, this movie just can't be all upbeat.

Queen is my favorite band of all time and yet I feel no desire to watch this movie.

I'll say this though, Rami Malek sounds exactly like Mercury when he sings.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Seen it all. Whats wrong with just having an upbeat movie? Im hoping they dont even show his death. Just trail off at Live Aid or Wembley in 86.

Sounds like Daehawk is getting his wish.

Bohemian Rhapsody is an upcoming biographical musical drama film that focuses on the 15-year period from the formation of the band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, up to their performance at Live Aid in 1985.

[Daehawk]

Wow I got my Hollywood wish again?...ok ok Im still wishing for Lobo and have Jason Momoa star!!

And just 15 years. So much life, music, talent, love in just those 15 years they felt like a lifetime.

[Daehawk]

Am I the only one noticing in that trailer how much Rami favors a young Mick Jagger? Now you cant unsee it.

[Rumpy]

Funny thing is, there was a young Mick Jagger portrayed in the recent short-lived HBO series about the music industry, and I'm not sure but it might have been portrayed by him.

[Z-Corn]

Funny thing is, there was a young Mick Jagger portrayed in the recent short-lived HBO series about the music industry, and I'm not sure but it might have been portrayed by him.

I'm not sure that's the case.

Mick Jagger produced the show (you are referring to Vinyl, correct?) and his son starred in it but I don't believe "Mick Jagger" was a character on the show.

It's not listed on Rami's IMDB page...

[Rumpy]

Oh yep, you're correct.

[Daehawk]

Latest trailer

[Rumpy]

Hmmm, still not convinced. Something feels off about it.

I'll say this though, Rami Malek sounds exactly like Mercury when he sings.

I kind of doubt it's really him singing. I'll swallow my words if I'm wrong, but for all we know it could just be he's lipsynching to the original recordings. It just sounds a little too close to Mercury & company. It wouldn't be the first time a biopic like this had dubbed vocals.

[McNutt]

Yeah, that was a joke.

[Rumpy]

Ahh, sorry, I didn't pick up on that.

[Isgrimnur]

Wife and I saw it this evening. We both enjoyed it. His proclivities are not ignored in any sense.

[Daehawk]

Im wondering how reviews are going for this film. I dont trust movie critics AT ALL but word of mouth and fellow movie goer reviews I enjoy reading. It never fails that a movie I think I might like ends up being shit on by a critic and yet when I see it I love it . So ya critics and me are on different frequencies.

[Kraken]

I'm seeing a consensus that Malik's performance is very good, but the storyline is a paint-by-numbers copy of every other musician biopic. An innovative band like Queen deserved a creative movie. Queen fans forgive the cliche framework and just enjoy watching Malik channel Mercury and hearing the music. Personally, I'll rent the DVD.

[Isgrimnur]

Then you’ll want Daehawk’s thread on Rocketman.

[GreenGoo]

Wife and I saw it this evening. We both enjoyed it. His proclivities are not ignored in any sense.

Do you feel it was a honest recounting of his life? My wife would like to see it but with the misgivings about it's development as mentioned here and elsewhere on the internet, I had to warn her that it might be another rose coloured glasses view of a turbulent life. She enjoys upbeat movies but she's enough of a movie buff and very interested in honest takes on celebrities' lives, so I was worried she'd get one without the other.

[Semaj]

I, not a huge queen fan, (Not saying I don't like them, but I don't live and die by their music), thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I don't know if I would call it a movie for the ages, but the movie definitely feels a lot shorter than the listed time. The two people I went with both loved it and outside of me poking my one friend early on and going "This is how the barenaked ladies started?" the theater was silent the whole movie.

If you want the movie to solely be about Freddies troubles, you will be disappointed, if you think they skimped on it you would also be super wrong. It's worth the money you will pay to watch it, unless you really hate queen, then wait for it to come out on netflixx in like 2 or 3 years.

[Isgrimnur]

Wife and I saw it this evening. We both enjoyed it. His proclivities are not ignored in any sense.

Do you feel it was a honest recounting of his life? My wife would like to see it but with the misgivings about it's development as mentioned here and elsewhere on the internet, I had to warn her that it might be another rose coloured glasses view of a turbulent life. She enjoys upbeat movies but she's enough of a movie buff and very interested in honest takes on celebrities' lives, so I was worried she'd get one without the other.

It’s not rose-colored. There’s not one major part of his life portrayed where, at some point, it’s not a good turn.

One of the early point in the films, he tells his parents that he’s going out with friends. You never actually see any friends. And thus it goes.

[GreenGoo]

It’s not rose-colored. There’s not one major part of his life portrayed where, at some point, it’s not a good turn.

One of the early point in the films, he tells his parents that he’s going out with friends. You never actually see any friends. And thus it goes.

I'm struggling to parse this. Are you saying it's a complete white washing (so to speak) of his life? Didn't you imply that it was not that in your other post? I'm definitely suffering some reading comprehension issues here.

I guess the easiest way to clarify is to tell me how his homosexuality and HIV/AIDS diagnosis is handled in the film. An honest take? Glossed over? Ignored completely?

[gilraen]

I guess the easiest way to clarify is to tell me how his homosexuality and HIV/AIDS diagnosis is handled in the film. An honest take? Glossed over? Ignored completely?

It's certainly not glossed over or ignored. They took dramatic license with the timeline, showing him being diagnosed shortly before the Live Aid concert took place (from what I read online, he wasn't formally diagnosed until a couple years later).

[Isgrimnur]

They devote time, attention, and dialogue to it. And it’s not the only tragedy of his life that’s explored.

[GreenGoo]

They devote time, attention, and dialogue to it. And it’s not the only tragedy of his life that’s explored.

No one said it was. I was having trouble understanding what you were saying and a clear response to my question would clarify (for me) your other posts.

And thanks for the answer. There was a lot of talk about the project and it seems people had pulled out of it because of the somewhat hollywood treatment it received. It's good to hear otherwise.

Plus, of course it takes dramatic license. It's a biopic, not a documentary. I get that.

[Isgrimnur]

Which question? It’s not an upbeat film in terms of his overall life. The upbeat music represents a contrast to his downbeat reality. The HIV diagnosis is covered, and the societal setting at the time of his sexuality and illness is covered in enough detail to make it clear. The post Live Aid days are not explored on film.

[Moliere]

[rittchard]

I saw it this weekend and really loved it, Rami really does a fantastic portrayal and deserves the Academy Award. I was worried that I'd be too stuck thinking of him as Mr. Robot, but his performance got me over that quickly.

I can see why some people would complain about certain parts of his life not being explored fully (then again, people will always find something to bitch about), but it really didn't bother me. Those topics could be covered in a different style of movie, and as has been mentioned, it wasn't like they totally ignored them. In fact I'm glad this film chose to focus on other interesting parts of his life that I had no idea about, and also about his interaction with the rest of the band. I'm also glad that they were able to tell the story and make it PG-13 enough that my relatively conservative sister was willing to take my otherwise sheltered 13 year old nephew to see it. He apparently loved it.

[Daehawk]

Me and Donna missed it. She said "Its ok we'll see it on tv next year"......well that wont happen now. Me alone... I dont think ...I know I cant....handle watching it by myself right now. Maybe one day. Probably not.

[Smoove_B]

You really need to stop torturing yourself. I say this as a concerned random online weirdo.

[Daehawk]

Maybe it takes a weirdo to help a weirdo.