Tag: rock and roll

SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE – Review

We must be “all in” for the end-of-the-year awards season as we’ve got a new big biographical film of a music superstar from an acclaimed director. Last year, Christmas Day to be exact, filmgoers got to do a deep dive into the 60s musical odyssey of Bob Dylan with James Mangold’s A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Though it didn’t garner as many awards (and box office) as BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY in 2018, it still racked up lots of critical raves (and even a Sag Best Actor for its star Timothee Chalomet). Now, like that earlier biopic, this one showcases another rising young star who is best known for an acclaimed TV show. Oh, but the big difference is that this is set a couple of decades later, at the start of the 1980s. Still, there’s a lot of musical “common ground between “Mr. Zimmerman” and SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE. As “the Boss” might say, “One, two…”.

After a brief black and white prologue with our young hero riding his bike through the means streets of Long Branch, New Jersey, the story jumps ahead to the splashy color of 1981 as fans are left breathless after the final concert number from Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) at a packed arena. As he winds down backstage, his trusted manager Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong) tells him that after a few post-concert dealings (including an interview with “Creem” magazine, remember it), his rental home on a lake in Colts Neck, New Jersey is ready. After he settles in there, the Boss contemplates his next album while recalling his turbulent early life with dutiful mother Adele (Gaby Huffman) and his boozing, abusive father Douglas (Stephan Graham). Later, in an effort to “blow off some steam” he joins the local rockers at The Stone Pony bar/music venue in Asbury Park. As he leaves, Bruce runs into an old high school buddy, who introduces him to his sister Faye (Odessa Young), a single mother working at a nearby diner. She gives him her number, in case he wants to “hang” sometime. Chilling back at his lake house, he does a bit of channel “surfing” and stumbles upon the 1973 Terrence Malick classic BADLANDS. Bruce is riveted, heading to the library to gather more info on the film’s inspiration, killer Charles Starkweather, then returning home to jot down lyrics and strum on his guitar. He has an epiphany: the new song collection “Nebraska” will have no polished studio sound. He brings in his audio-tech Mike Batlan (Paul Walter Hauser) to record a demo tape using very low tech (cassettes). When Landau meets Columbia Records’ Al Teller (David Krumholtz), the exec is stunned by Bruce’s subject matter and his rules. There will be no singles, right after Bruce landed a single on the Billboard top ten. But Jon and Bruce persist. Meanwhile, the Boss struggles to get “the sound” just right while the process dredges up brutal memories from childhood. Can a burgeoning romance with the “hometown gal” vanquish the inner demons inside the rising rock and roll superstar?

Wow, in this film you get two (yes two) great Jeremys heading the ensemble. First, of course, is White, who we’ve not seen on the big screen since 2023’s THE IRON CLAW (though he continues to cook up a storm on TV’s “The Bear”). Without the use of prosthetic makeup, but with a little color “tweaking” in his curly mane, he makes us believe that he’s the “Boss”. He’s got that confident strut as he wields that guitar like a gladiator’s broadsword before the adoring throngs. But he’s more Clark Kent as leaves the backstage door, trying to blend in with the “average Joes”. However, White shows us his simmering intensity, whether achieving his artistic goals, struggling to put the right words in his battered notebook, or clamping down on his childhood monsters. Plus, he projects an almost boyish charm during his “downtime” with Faye. The other J is the superb Mr. Strong (so wonderful in last year’s THE APPRENTICE) as the laser-focused Landau. He’s Bruce’s strong right hand, whether he’s dealing with the press or anxious record execs demanding more “hits”. Strong’s stare seems to burrow into White’s brain, forming a connecting line of creative thought. The two actors’ performance anchor the tale. But then they have a great supporting cast. Young exudes a sexy “tough gal” persona as the smitten, but steadfast (not putting up with any “Boss BS”) as Faye. Hauser provides a few needed laughs as the perplexed but hard-working audio geek, Mike (he questions, but never refuses Bruce’s needs). The other big emotional role may be Graham as the stoic papa Stephan who lashes out in order to “toughen up” his boy, while casting a dark shadow that looms over the crumbling house, leaving Hoffman as mama Adele as the sole bright light in the lad’s life. Krumholtz is also funny as recording bigwig Teller, while the great Marc Maron shines with just a few lines as audio mixer Chuck Plotkin.


The acclaimed filmmaker is director/screenwriter (adapting the book “Deliver Me from Nowhere” by Warren Zanes) is Scott Cooper (CRAZY HEART), Wisely, he decided to focus in on an important year or two in Bruce’s life, rather than giving a full “life story” (though we do have those 1957 snippet flashbacks), to not get into the cliché biopic “checklist” (then he did this, then that, then…) which gives the personal drama more room to “breathe”. Also, it allows Cooper to really explore the creative process of an artist, which is usually a “stumbling block” (always a problem with stories about writers). At times, Bruce seems rigid and too unwavering, but Cooper shows us that it’s a quest for purity in the music’s intent. The era of the early 80s is painstakingly recreated with nods to pop culture and a big ode to the power of cinema, not only BADLANDS (young Bruce watches a 1950s cult classic with his pop). The pace is rather languid, with bursts of the remarkable rock and folk anthems. At times that measured pace is sidetracked by the romantic subplot, (it somewhat evaporates by the final act) which doesn’t add much to the story of the creation of an album. And a few fans may wish there were more recreations of the marathon concerts, but Cooper gives us enough of a taste to convey the power of Mr. S. But in those final moments, Cooper provides a positive message about seeking help from mental health professionals (might nudge those struggling to see a “rock god” getting back on track) It’s not a bombastic tune-filled spectacle, but rather a powerful, intimate portrait of a man exploring new artistic territory while exploring his own past. That power of creation fuels SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE.

3.5 Out of 4


SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE is now playing in theaters everywhere

THE BEACH BOYS (2024) – Review

Kicking off the start of Summer with the big Memorial Day weekend, a new documentary poses the question: What’s the “go-to” music for this season? Well, for the past 63 years, it’s been these pop icons out of Hawthorne, California, of course. Their signature songs invoke memories of ocean waves hitting the sand as eager athletes run through the foam with their trusty boards. Interestingly only one member of the original band surfed, though when watching a blonde adonis catching a “tasty wave”, you automatically, in your head, recall the sweet infectious harmonies of THE BEACH BOYS.

After opening with glorious footage of an electric 1975 outdoor concert (naturally in the bright Summer sun), the doc springs back 15 or so years to the modest suburban home on 119th Street when the eldest Wilson brother Brian became fascinated by the careful vocal craftsmanship of the Four Freshmen along with other musical acts. That included rock and roll and the emerging sound of the surfing-inspired instramentals. He brought in his younger brothers, Carl and Dennis, and later enlisted Mike Love and schoolmates Al Jardine and David Marks to record songs on Brian’s new reel-to-reel recorder as the “”Pembertones. Father Murry Wilson took their song “Surfin'” to the Candix label, and the disc was released sporting a new moniker for the guys, the Beach Boys. They soon went from regional radio staples to the top of the Billboard charts when they signed with Capitol Records, scoring with odes to fun at the seashore like “Surfin Safari” and “Surfin’ U.S.A.”. The film charts their meteoric rise while chronicling the many changes to the performing roster of musicians. When David returned, Brian tired of performing live which ushered in performers like record producer Bruce Johnston, guitar legend Gelen Campbell, and eventually Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar. The film also touches on the conflicts, from the abrasive tirades of Murry to the wild antics of Dennis and his brush with the Manson family. Yet somehow the music’s legacy grew in stature which culminates in a remarkable reunion with the survivors on the location of one of their most famous album covers.

This film marks another excellent feature documentary from two veteran directors of the “music doc” genre, Frank Marshall (JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY and THE BEE GEES: HOW DO YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART) and Thom Zimny (several Bruce Springsteen profiles along with Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash). They’ve assembled quite an exhaustive compilation of performance pieces from the past including TV shows ( a sketch with mop top wig-wearing Jack Benny and Bob Hope) and live concert shows (love the young ladies leaping on stage to tackle Mike Love), not to mention terrific archival interviews with the Wilsons and some collaborators (Campbell and members of the famed “Wrecking Crew”). We also get close-ups of Brian’s notepads of lyrics and a few audio clips made during recording sessions when a tipsy aggressive Murry rightly earned the ire of his sons. A few of the scandals are glossed over (the indulgences of Dennis and that scary association with Charlie I mentioned earlier), Brian’s shadowy reclusive years (the docudrama LOVE & MERCY tackles that in full), and the legal skirmishes between Brian and Mike. Oh, and there are some interesting new interviews done with folks like producer Don Was and artists Janelle Monae and Lindsey Buckingham along with the band. Even Brian’s first wife Marion is there with some great personal memories. And though they were initially rivals, Paul McCartney expresses his admiration for the group, And that all stems from that sound, those harmonies, and the giddy fun of those songs celebrating the carefree teenage days. Yes, celebration is the operative word, even as Brian shares the fate of Barry Gibb (in Marshall’s HBO doc) as the last brother, we see the power of music to heal as the now geriatric “Boys” gather on the sand for that warm gathering before the final fade-out. It’s truly an “Endless Summer” in this engaging and compelling portrait of “America’s band”, THE BEACH BOYS.

3.5 Out of 4

THE BEACH BOYS is now streaming on Disney+

PRISCILLA – Review

Woo boy, here’s a new flick that’ll make the multiplex shake, rattle, and roll (well, the screens that aren’t still running the Taylor Swift concert juggernaut). Yes, it’s a brand-spankin’ new biopic centered around the king of rock and roll, the ruler of Graceland, the ….whoa, wait a minute! This is 2023, not 2022, Last Christmas we got a big-budget musical docudrama all about the man who was always “takin’ care of business” from Baz Luhrmann. Yes, and this is quite a different spin. For one thing, it’s from an indie studio with a more modest budget. There is a highly regarded director behind this, but rather than focusing on “E” or “the Colonel” it follows the path of the “Queen of the King”. As the title implies, this is the story of PRISCILLA.

This look at her life with EP begins after he’s gone into the Army and is stationed over in Germany. In the military diner, we first encounter the 14-year-old “Army brat” Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) as she enjoys a milkshake at the counter, She’s approached by another high-ranking soldier, the entertainment co-ordinator of the base, who invites her to a party being held for their most famous recruit. After much pleading with her parents and a visit from that officer, she’s allowed to attend. There she is naturally dazzled by the charismatic Private Presley (Jacob Elordi). Soon he escorts her away from the other partygoers for a private “chitchat”. He’s smitten as Priscilla seems to be more of a regular “downhome” gal, briefly kissing her before she is driven back home. Soon, they begin a secret courtship, always with escorts, causing her to daydream of a future with him while distracted at school. Priscilla is heartbroken when Elvis finishes his “stint” and flies back home to restart his career in music and the movies. The two continue to communicate via letters and phone calls, as he insists that all the fan magazine romance stories with his co-stars are lies. Ann Elvis does come back to her and asks her parents to sign an agreement making her the ward of his Papa Vernon and promising that she will finish her education in Memphis while living in her own room at his estate Graceland. There it’s all-day parties with EP and his “Memphis mafia” and long lonely days when he’s off at a movie set. The romance has its ups and downs as Elvis molds her (makeup and fashions) into his “ideal woman” before marrying her. Years pass, they have a daughter Lisa Marie, and their mutual dependence on pills and booze begins to take its toll. Priscilla’s fantasy of her perfect life with her dream man starts to crash and crumble.

Anchoring the love story at the film center is the title role performance by a most compelling young actress. Though she’s had several supporting roles in TV and the movies. Ms. Spaeny gives Priscilla a real arc as she begins to mature from a pre-teen to a strong-willed young mother. In the beginning of the relationship, Spaeny conveys the all-consuming awakening of first love, drifting as though on a cloud, apart from the mere mortal teenagers in her school hallway. Soon we see her deal with the pangs of jealousy, working up the courage to confront her famous beau. Spaeny makes it seem as though Priscilla is passive as her look is formed, but her eyes tell us that she knows that something is very “off”. Over time she shows us how Mrs. P strived to break out of her hubby’s long shadow. Elordi plays him with loads of genteel Southern charm (perhaps it was the sound system, but I lost lots of words due to that strong drawl), especially as the chaste, respectful suitor. Later he reveals his manipulative darker side with the dress shop scene invoking Scotty’s “makeover mania” from VERTIGO. Then the fame and the drugs seem to seal him off emotionally, as Elordi makes E more distracted and secretive, exploding in quick scary outbursts followed by pleading apologies. In much smaller roles (mainly in the first act) Dagma Dominczyk and Art Cohen are effective as the wary parents of Ms. P, while Tim Post is a grumpy Vernon, always looking out for his “boy”.

Directing this new look at the music icon through the eyes of his first true love is Sofia Coppola who also wrote the adaptation of Priscilla’s memoir “Elvis and Me” that she penned with Sandra Harmon. And though it may have followed that tome very closely, the pacing is dragged down by the near-endless scenes of Presley playing with his posse while his wife sulks, then dealing with her loneliness as he leaves for a concert or a film, then starting the cycle again (yes, I’m sure that’s much like her life then but it becomes so tiring). The sets evoke the locales and the costumes and hairstyles give the film a real nostalgic authenticity. But after the stylish splash and “eye candy’ of last winter’s spectacle, it all feels somber and “scaled down” with the feel of a TV movie. However, the biggest absence is the King’s music itself. There are a few fleeting chords of classics, but the estate wouldn’t okay their use. Yes, there are a few songs, but on the first “date”, Elvis regales the partygoers with a hit from another 50s icon. That may turn off his ardent fans along with eschewing the sweetness of Baz’s take to this “groomer” of a child ten years his junior (accentuated by the height difference between the two leads). Also, the film ends too abruptly with no postscript to the lead’s life post-Memphis. Ms. Spaeny and Mr. Elordi are very good, but they can’t quite inject a spark into the whirlwind romance of Elvis and PRISCILLA.

2.5 Out of 4

PRISCILLA is now playing in select theatres

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND – Review

This past year we’ve seen several very entertaining documentary features set in the world of music, particularly SUMMER OF SOUL. Another lauded film was the profile of the rock band Sparks, titled simply THE SPARKS BROTHERS, which set itself apart from many doc features in that it was helmed by a director who’s mainly known for fiction films, Edgar Wright. Now another similar director enters the fray, Todd Haynes, who last told the story of corporate polluters in the “based on real events” drama DARK WATERS. He’s the force behind the new film that chronicles the history of a most influential band that merged rock and roll with the avant-garde, a group of acclaimed musical talents known as THE VELVET UNDERGROUND.

This story begins, oddly enough, with a grainy kinescope of the CBS TV game show staple, “I’ve Got a Secret’. The audience titters when told of the “secret”: pianist John Cale played an 18-hour concert (he was joined by the only attendee that stuck it out). We’re then plunged into the changing cultural landscape of the 1960s as Cale meets an intense young poet/guitarist named Lou Reed. They became a fixture of the hip, young New York scene as The Primitives which included Sterling Morrison. Eventually Maureen (Moe) Tucker came aboard as the band’s drummer as they decided on the new moniker, The Velvet Underground. Despite the personality clashes and indulgencies (including heroin), their dark-themed songs caught the attention of art icon Andy Warhol who made them the “house band” for his “factory”. Eventually, he would manage the band in 1966 and soon he would pair them with the exotic actress/model Nico for a series of live shows and record albums. After the exit of Nico, the band finally broke with Warhol, who made their shows a full media “happening’ with projected film and slides. VU continued to make music through the 60s until 1973, a couple of years after Reed left to embark on a lauded solo career.

Those hoping for an involving introduction to the iconic group will be dumbstruck for the sensory overload orchestrated by Haynes. After the game show epilogue, he fills the screen with multiple images, often distracting from the music snippets and the more recent interview subjects. As he presents the original band members, 2/3 of the screen is taken up by a “locked-down” headshot from the Warhol factory with each musician trying not to blink while assorted archival stills and news footage flash by in countless boxes (one sequence looks like the Brady Bunch opening titles times six). Sure, we hear from surviving members of the VU, along with family members and old pals of those departed, but they’re generic talking heads as the ever-changing “slide show” numbs us. There are also a few celebs like Jonathan Richmond, Jackson Browne, and Warhol “superstar” Mary Woronov (who joins Moe in a rant against those “hippie flower kids”), but they don’t truly enlighten or illuminate. Oh, and those Warhol unflinching static shot close-ups haven’t become more charming with age. The group seems worthy of an engrossing cinematic recollection but this visually erratic and haphazardly cut fever dream from Haynes will not add many new fans for THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. Now, where’s the Dramamine?

1 Out of 4

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas and begins streaming on Apple TV + on October 15, 2021

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE – Review

Last week filmgoers were treated to a rather nifty feature documentary, FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES, all about the creation (or to borrow a term from the superheroes, an “origin” story) of the beloved stage classic “Fiddler on the Roof”. Well, let’s continue the “musical mood” with another doc about a very popular lady singer. Uh oh, the last big female singer feature docs were 2015’s AMY (Ms. Winehouse) and last year’s WHITNEY (Ms. Houston), so could this be about another songstress struck down at far too young an age? Happily, I can give a resounding “No!”. She appears in new footage and narrates several sequences. However, there’s more than a hint of tragedy at the film’s conclusion. But the journey is quite magical, as she dazzles in a wide range of musical styles and genres. All this audio delight comes courtesy of LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE.


Her screen story starts in the present day as we see Ms. R intently enjoying the performance of several local musicians at a street festival in a Mexican border town. We then get a formal introduction to her via TV clips that range from Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell to Dick Cavett and Johnny Carson. And she glows in the camera’s gaze, seeming to be a raven-haired goddess of the forest with just a hint of the large dark eyes of a 30s cartoon queen. Then we hear that voice, powerful yet still soul-seering. Before we hear too much, it’s flashback time, to her 1946 birth in Tuscon, Arizona. We get to meet her parents, who made music an integral part of the household. Linda tells of her love of radio, which picked up stations from both sides of the border. With the emergence of folk music in the mid-sixties, she became part of a trio with a sister and brother and performed in local clubs. The coast beaconed and soon she was in LA forming a band with back-up guitarist Bobby Kimmel, the Stone Poneys (and scoring a modest hit with “Different Drum”). The record labels were interested in her alone, so she quickly became a solo act. We hear from Don Henley who was part of her back-up band and teamed with another musician, Glen Frey, to form the Eagles. Linda soon becomes a sought after opening act for touring stars, first Neil Young then Jackson Browne, who says they would take turns on the bill (on camera he admits. “Who wants to open for Linda Ronstadt?”). More hit records and more sold-out arena shows follow. She talks of the brief romance with presidential hopeful Jerry Brown, and of the temptations of a rock and roll life. Eventually, she tires of the road and indulges in her love of other musical styles, stunning her record execs with a desire to play Gilbert and Sullivan in New York in the early ’80s. This was followed by a sharp turn to classic big band ballads with Nelson Riddle. Though she was on the country charts in the past, she went “full in” with the Trio album along with Emmylou Harris and idol Dolly Parton. After several hit duets, Linda paid tribute to the music of her Papa with albums filled with Mexican song standards (sung in Spanish). The filmmakers end the documentary in her retirement in the last dozen or so years, one it seems not of her desire.

Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman tackle the arduous (hey it couldn’t have been that tough to listen to all those great tunes) task of fitting Ronstadt’s life story and decades-long career into a breezy 95-minute length. As it should, it leaves you wanting more (oh those DVD extras). The photomontages of her early Tuscon years combined with the old family audio recordings are a treasure. Sure, we get the usual doc talking heads, but their memories along with lots of gushing adoration (Cameron Crowe continues to be in awe) are most informative and touching like Kevin Kline relating how he was floored by Ronstadt’s classical range during the first run-through of their acclaimed “The Pirates of Penzance”. And we get a good sense of her work ethic, from longtime producer Peter Asher, along with her determined career goals which seem to still mystify record execs like Joe Smith and David Geffen. But for every interview, there are some incredible bits of concert footage (many from the that great NBC late-night Friday staple, “The Midnight Special”). Ronstadt belts out the raucous power anthems, making the classics fresh and electric (from icons like Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison), and moments later she’s breaking everyone’s hearts with ballads full of lost love and yearning. The filmmakers are light on her personal life. Yes, there’s Mr. Brown (and that grainy video of her singing “My Boyfriend’s Back” at a campaign rally), but no mention of the famous comic she dated in the early 80s or the more famous movie director she may have been engaged to near the end of that decade. We’re given the briefest glimpses of her life at home and how she never embraced domesticity (JD Souther tells of going to her house with the promise of a “home-cooked dinner” and sitting down to a PB&J sandwich). But this isn’t a tabloid-like tell-all, but rather a warm, foot-tapping celebration. All these great interviews and archive footage lead to Ronstadt today in a heartbreaking final (let’s hope not) act. She’s attempting to sing with a nephew and cousin, but that despicable Parkinson’s disease thwarts her efforts, then finally silences her. Ronstadt can only look on with frustration at the musicians, the desire to join them shining in those still devastating deep brown eyes, now beneath silver hair. It feels so cruel and unfair, but we can celebrate the recordings that will be enjoyed and studied forever so that many generations to come will be mesmerized and enthralled by the wonders of LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. Who knows, perhaps some aliens are just now rocking out to her via those old radio signals bouncing about the galaxy.

3.5 Out of 4

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas and Tivoli Theatre

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – Review

If the multiplex is a rockin’, then DO come a knockin…at the ticket counter and go grab a seat. Just a few weeks ago movie audiences tapped their feet to the big concert sequences in the new version of A STAR IS BORN. And continue to flock to the flick, keeping it at the top of the box office and music charts, downloading and buying CDs (some folks still do) of the movie soundtrack. Yes, Cooper and Gaga are electric as singer/songwriters who fill concert venues (she’s had lots of real-life experience). But what’s out there for film fans still in a musical mood? How about a nostalgic look back at the story of a rock act that sold out stadiums? Not a documentary, like this past Summer’s WHITNEY, but a musical biography. Now, this has usually been a staple of TV, with recent “biopics” of Ms. Huston, her hubby Bobby, and his old group New Edition. This has been going on for decades (you could maybe fill a cable or streaming channel with the just the flicks concerning Elvis). For feature films, rock and roll has been a backdrop for satires and parodies, from THIS IS SPINAL TAP to POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING. Well, now Fox has stepped up with the story of the “real deal”, true “rock and roll” glamor gods of the 70’s and 80’s, Queen. Of course, their name in the title may make some filmgoers think that Helen Mirren stars, so to bypass any confusion the film’s title is taken from one of their most popular and enduring melodies, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.

Indeed, the story begins with a very packed arena, as the quartet make their way to the stage. Ah, not so fast, we’re quickly “flashed back” fifteen years to something of an “origin” story (rock stars are kinda’ real-life super-heroes). In 1970, twenty-something Farrokh “Freddie” Bulsara (Rami Malek) slaves his days away as a baggage handler at London’s Heathrow Airport. Once he punches his time clock he rushes back to his conservative Parsi family (Mum, Dad, and sis) home, jots down some song lyric ideas, and heads out to a bar where one of his favorite local bands, Smile (could the name have been inspired by the fact that one of the members studied dentistry), is performing. While waiting in the line outside, Freddie shyly flirts with a gorgeous young woman named Mary Austin (Lucy Boyton). She admires his fashion sense and suggests that he visit her at the clothing store where she works as a sales clerk. After the concert, two of the members of Smile, Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy), are stunned when their lead singer tells them that he’s out (“no future in it”). As he exits, Freddie enters, complimenting them, then belting out some songs, ending in perfect harmony with the duo. After a shaky start (darn mike stand), they become a hit on the pub circuit, while Freddie really “hits it off” with the lovely Mary. After leaving the luggage job, Freddie becomes a real creative force in the band, changing his name to Freddie Mercury, and eventually changing the band’s name to the more “out there”, subversive “Queen”. Soon they attract the attention of EMI record exec John Reid (Aidan Gillen) who signs them up for the label and sends them on a worldwide tour, coordinated by Reid’s aide, Paul Prenter (Allen Leech). In the next few years, Queen becomes an international sensation. But Freddie wants to take creative chances, telling EMI head Ray Foster (Mike Myers) that their next album, appropriately titled “A Night at the Opera”, will mix rock and classical music. Foster balks at the end result (“no radio station’s gonna’ play a six-minute single!”). As Queen changes labels, Freddie’s engagement to Mary becomes strained as he struggles with his sexuality. Through squabbles, band changes including the addition of bassist John Deacon (Joeseph Mazzello), and the lure of fame, fortune, and staggering amounts of booze and drugs, Queen continues into the 1980’s. But will Freddie jump ship to another label in pursuit of a solo career? And what about that nagging cough?

This may be the story of the band Queen, but its lead singer is the film’s true focus. That “frontman” who’s really front and center is brought to enigmatic life by the phenomenal Malek in a real “movie-star-making” performance (he’s conquered TV as the star of “Mr. Robot”). Though the dental prosthetics are a slight distraction in the early sequences, Malek captures every conflicting facet of Freddie. Prior to auditioning, he’s shy and awkward, barely connecting emotionally with anyone save for Mary. Oh, but when he takes the stage, Malek projects that flamboyant charisma, shutting down all the hateful heckles and taunts with his talents. Away from the studios and arenas, Malek gives Freddie a haunted, child-like quality, a lonely lad hoping to fill the quiet with parties and indulgences. His kindred spirit seems to be Mary, the one who truly understands him. The beautiful Boyton (so great in an underrated pop music flick, SING STREET) as Ms. Austin adores this quirky, crazy-gifted guy, but knows that she cannot truly be united with him. Boyton shows us Mary’s bravery as she sets him free, but remains as his emotional “rock”. As for the rest of the band, Lee makes May an easy-going peacemaker, trying to keep things running smoothly. We also see his unbridled joy of performing, using his considerable guitar virtuosity in service of Freddie’s vision. Hardy as Taylor is more of a “grumbler” with less patience for Mr. M’s eccentricities. Yet somehow, this hard-rocker can delight in the group’s “off the wall” career directions (as long as he can afford a great car). Mazzello as the more recent member shows us Deacon’s delight to be considered a peer, while barely containing his glee that his audience-including suggestions are used. Leech as Paul is almost the “villain'” of the tale, a two-faced “gatekeeper’ keeping any other influences away from Freddie while supplying him with fresh flesh and pharmaceuticals. And there’s great comic relief from Meyers as the studio “suit” that just doesn’t “get it” along with Tom Hollander as Jim “Miami” Beach, a company “bean counter” freed from his shackles by these rock and roll rescuers.

Director Brian Singer (reportedly assisted by Dexter Fletcher) expertly captures those years of excess and kitchy camp. For a montage of highlights from the worldwide tour, he has the city names in streaming graphics styled after the opening titles of 1978’s SUPERMAN. As many rock and roll historians have said, the script by Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan plays fast and loose with the timeline, injecting songs out of chronological order and adding time to the band’s “estrangement”. Plus it does fall often into biopic cliches where success no bringing happiness, but addiction. As another artist said “Mo money, more problems”. But even with those faults, the film is an exhilerating, often moving entertainment “machine”. First and foremost is the music, the incredible Queen catalog. Those who mostly associate them with the title tune (guilty) will be stunned at their many familiar hits (wow, they did that one and that one, too). One thing the film conveys more than most music (really any of the arts) bios is the effort and dizzying joy of creation. The whole “let’s try it, what the Hell” spirit of collaboration, particularly when the fellows put together “BH” in the farm/studio. The sequence’s “topper” is another terrific montage of mediocre to negative reviews of that iconic song from music critics of the era. But the emotional heart of the story, nearly blotting out seedy scenes that might have been outtakes from CRUISING, is the phenominal recreation of the 1985 Live Aid “medley”. Just as fate has dealt them a fatal “hand”, the band rallys together to spit in the eye of the Grim Reaper. The camera whips about the stadium, then cuts to several TV viewers of the compelling performance. We see that Freddie has grabbed the heart of, not only the thousands at Wembley, but millions across the globe. He’s almost declaring that, though his body may fail him, his talent is immortal. In those final minutes, we see how the power of music can bring much-needed comfort to countless souls. With Malek in command, audiences will be happily “banging their heads” once more in time to BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.

4 Out of 5