At first I refused to go. As a Queen fan since 1986, born a little too late to ever see them perform live, I was scared that a movie about my life long idol Freddie Mercury was bound to disappoint me. Today, exactly 27 years after him dying way too early, I went to see the movie after many fans talked positively about it where critics didn't. And yes, as you can see I was not disappointed at all.
I can see that as a biopic, the movie might be too far away from the facts too often. But what fans tend to understand better than critics is that that's not what this movie was all about. In the end, this movie celebrates, in an entertaining and condensed way, the life of the greatest singer that ever existed. A rock star, an incredible performer, an enfant terrible. His personal tragedy is shown, but while there are some scenes and many allusions converning his lifestyle and sexuality, the main focus is on the music, his grand opus and also, the band. Mercury needed Deacon, Taylor and May, and they needed him. And that is what fans want to see. There is a whole generation of Queen fans that "grew up proud in the shadow of the mushroom cloud", and the movie manages to reach us on an emotional level, where we can for a moment forget that those are actors instead of the real band playing at Live Aid. And we can grieve again - one more time - for the musical genius Freddie Mercury, whose light burnt out so long before its time. We grieve for all the songs that we will never hear because Freddie Mercury is dead. So in my eyes, the eyes of a fan, they managed to pull it off. What a pleasant surprise this movie was!
I can see that as a biopic, the movie might be too far away from the facts too often. But what fans tend to understand better than critics is that that's not what this movie was all about. In the end, this movie celebrates, in an entertaining and condensed way, the life of the greatest singer that ever existed. A rock star, an incredible performer, an enfant terrible. His personal tragedy is shown, but while there are some scenes and many allusions converning his lifestyle and sexuality, the main focus is on the music, his grand opus and also, the band. Mercury needed Deacon, Taylor and May, and they needed him. And that is what fans want to see. There is a whole generation of Queen fans that "grew up proud in the shadow of the mushroom cloud", and the movie manages to reach us on an emotional level, where we can for a moment forget that those are actors instead of the real band playing at Live Aid. And we can grieve again - one more time - for the musical genius Freddie Mercury, whose light burnt out so long before its time. We grieve for all the songs that we will never hear because Freddie Mercury is dead. So in my eyes, the eyes of a fan, they managed to pull it off. What a pleasant surprise this movie was!