3 weeks ago
Being the huge Queen fan I am, I have watched and read all the biographies of Freddie Mercury/Queen I could get my hands on. I know the story of Queen and Freddie backwards and forwards. When I was preparing to watch this movie, I had to be in the right mind set. 1. There is NO WAY the could get a FULL and ACCURATE accounting of everything that went into making Queen and Freddie the legends they are/were in a 2 hour movie, realize it and accept it. 2. There are some things that neither Brian, Roger, Cash, Mary or those close to Freddie want brought back out for rehashing and reopening old wounds. If you want that, I don't feel you are a true Queen or Freddie fan. 3. Knowing the story as well as I do, I'm not sure I'd be ok with ALL the warts being exposed. Are they there, yes, do they really matter at this point? NO. Brian and Roger have been very protective of Freddie, Cash, Jer and Mary since Freddie died and they continued that in how they approached this movie. They let us see the Freddie that loved everyone in his life but couldn't love himself for who he was. Freddie was the consummate showman and was skilled at only showing the public what he wanted us to see: A truly gifted musician and performer, not the ugly side of his daily life. More of today's "celebrities"need to take notes. 4. I planned on seeing this with an open mind, but to be honest, I was totally biased. I LOVE QUEEN AND FREDDIE and I went in with hope they didn't make it a bash session and they didn't. I loved this movie for many reasons, it was fun, it was at times funny, ( that I wasn't expecting) it gives a glimpse into the bands personal interactions and personalities. Some of the fights were intense and equally entertaining. I was glad they addressed Freddie's relationship with his father. That was something I always wondered about. They, again, approached it with grace and kindness. Mike Myers? Really? What a stupid casting mistake. He needs to stick to voicing animated movies. That way you don't have to suffer him on-screen. Actor? Hardly. The acting was great. Rami did a great job of honoring Freddie. I am SO glad they did not have Sasha whoever do Freddie, I wouldn't have gone to see it. I have to say my favorite portrayal was Joseph Mazzello's as John Deacon ( Deacy) . From all I have read and seen prior, this he nailed it! Everyone did great but Deacy came in a strong second for me. Will you like it or love it? I truly believe you will get out of it what you put into it. If you are looking for a great way to send a couple of hours seeing some of the questions you had about Freddie and Queen answered and hearing some of their early hits, you will love it. If you are looking for all the dirt and grime, go on YouTube and watch one of the many documentaries you will find there. Download one of the many books written about Freddie's life. My personal favorite is written by "Phoebe"Peter Freestone, Freddie's personal assistant that was with him 12 years until he died. My one gripe. It ended pretty abruptly. No they didn't go into Freddie's declining health and death, that's ok, we watched that play out in real time. I wish they would have hit on the music the band made later. Yeah, they quit touring, but in my opinion, they made some of their best music after LiveAid. My favorite music they released was Made In Heaven, the vocals Freddie left behind, knowing he wouldn't be here to put it together but trusted Brian and Roger to finish, are heartbreaking and hopeful. Even knowing his time was short, he was determined to leave the fans something for when he was gone. As Freddie told his manager, "I don't care what you do with the music, just never make me boring! "NO WORRIES FRED
