Boy Erased

My college sociology class once showed us But I'm a Cheerleader, a satire of Gay-Conversion programs. It was bright and silly, but its points were serious. I'm thinking about it now as I review a less funny criticism of Gay-Conversion programs, Boy Erased.

Joel Edgerton adapted his second directorial effort from the memoirs of Garrard Conley. Conley is represented here by Jared Eamons, played by Lucas Hedges. Jared is the son of Baptist minister Marshall (Russell Crowe) and hairdresser Nancy. He's a star basketball player in high school and his girlfriend's a cheerleader. He appears normal to the world. But he feels something amiss.

After his best friend at college, Henry (Joe Alwyn), sexually assaults him, Jared comes out of the closet to his parents. They are less than thrilled with the news. They quickly sign up Jared for Love in Action, a Gay-Conversion program. The uptight director Victor Sykes (Edgerton) swears his flock to secrecy about the curriculum. At best, it's a minor assignment like tracing one's family tree "for the source of sin." At worst, it's a mock funeral where the "deceased" is beaten with bibles. Neither sounds fun.

Jared tries to survive the program. Otherwise, he'll have to live on campus for much longer. Nancy sees the curriculum and realizes she's made a mistake. It all comes to a head after Sykes goes too far.

Its strongest technical standouts include production designer Chad Keith and cinematographer Eduard Grau. The Love in Action campus is appropriately dour and oppressive. It's not a welcoming environment as Jared and the others learn. The aforementioned mock funeral feels more like an exorcism against a defenseless ghost instead of Pazuzu. Editor Jay Rabinowitz's best moment is the frantic scene where Jared quits the program. 

The leads are pretty good. Hedges as Jared is believable as a conflicted, self-loathing youth who eventually stands for himself. His on-screen parents, Crowe and Kidman, are misguided people. They love their son and honestly believe they're doing what's best. Nancy learns to assert herself when she realizes that's not true. Marshall is stubborn but his and Jared's eventual reconciliation was good. Sykes is brutal but even he thinks he's being helpful. His lead councilor is a less-likable man named Brandon (Flea).

Jared's fellow students are a decent bunch. A few get more spotlight than others. These include Cameron (Briton Seer), the victim of the aforementioned mock funeral, the haphephobic Jon (Xavier Dolan), and Gary (Troye Sivan, who has two songs on the soundtrack). You'll feel for them even if you don't get to know them that much.

Boy Erased makes for an uneasy 114 minutes. The program's extreme beliefs (and a glaringly obvious typo in a booklet) provide a few uneasy laughs. Its actions are another story. It's a perfect analysis of that old saying where hell is paved with good intentions. It was satisfying to see Jared and Nancy asserting themselves. That's what makes the resolution a relief. It's uneasy but it was necessary.

Green Book

Over the years, The Farrelly Brothers gave the world such films as Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary. They're the sort of films the Academy freely ignores. This year, Peter Farrelly goes solo for an Oscar-calibur Dramedy, Green Book. You don't need to be the Academy to enjoy this true life story.

In 1962, Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), aka Tony Lip, is a bouncer at the Copacabana. He needs a job after the club closes for renovations. He's recommended to pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) for a long-term job. Shirley, an African American, is about to tour the Deep South. He needs someone tough enough to manage his affairs. The sophisticated Shirley (aka Doc) and blunt Tony don't get along at first. But Tony comes around and takes the job. He's given a Green Book, a Black traveler's guide listing Black-friendly establishments.

The rest of the movie deals with their tour. Tony and Doc's personalities still clash. But they still help each other out. Shirley helps Tony write more sophisticated letters to his wife, Dolores (Linda Cardellini). Tony ensures Doc is accommodated at each stop. Tony is wowed by Shirley's musical talents. While Tony isn't racially sensitive, he's disgusted by the institutionalized racism Doc faces. Eventually, he and Doc become friends for real.

Farrelly and Brian Hayes Currie collaborated on the script with Tony's son, Nick. Its travelogue of the 1960s makes for a slow and steady 130 minutes. Tony and Doc's bickering makes for several humorous exchanges. The letter writing bits are endearing. But the film knows when to get serious. It's not funny when Doc is threatened for travelling in a "sundown town." Eventually, their refusal to play at the last stop is an awesome act.

Mortensen and Ali get equal spotlight here. Mortensen as Tony is a funny, tough guy. He's not enlightened at first but he's still an upstanding guy. Ali as Doc, meanwhile, is smooth and sophisticated. But he's only trying to stay tough in the face of racism. It takes a long, emotional speech in the rain for them to work out their differences. Tony and Doc's eventual friendship is a believable destination. The end of their journey takes them to a heartwarming Christmas Eve dinner at Tony's place.

There's also some delightful music. Whether Kris Bower's original score or the standards Doc plays, the soundtrack is great. It fits right in with the meaningful story. It's not a desperate grab at Oscar-bait by any means. It believes what it's saying. That's what makes Green Book a great crowd-pleaser. See it as soon as you can. It's worth the trip.

Widows

Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) is a criminal mastermind. His crew, Carlos Perelli (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), Florek Gunner (Jon Bernthal) and Jimmy Nunn (Coburn Goss) are lucky to be with him. Unfortunately, they're in a movie called Widows. They're all killed in a fiery shootout with Chicago PD before the title even comes up.

Harry's wife, Veronica (Viola Davis), tries to get by without him. Unfortunately, Harry's last job had him steal $2 million from Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree-Henry), a gangster turned candidate for Alderman. Jamal bills Veronica for the theft and gives her a month to pay up.

Veronica finds Harry's notebook, which has the plans for his next crime. It's worth $5 million. Veronica recruits two of the other widows of Harry's crew, Linda Perelli (Michelle Rodriguez) and Alice Gunner (Elizabeth Debicki), for the heist. The fourth widow, Amanda Nunn (Carrie Coon), is preoccupied with her baby. Her spot is filled by Belle (Cynthia Erivo), Linda's babysitter. The four women prepare for the heist. The target is the home of Jamal's political opponent, Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell). Things get complicated when Veronica learns more about Harry's last heist.

Director Steve McQueen and his co-writer, Gillian Flynn, adapted the ITV series scripted by Lynda La Plante (Prime Suspect). The opening sequence goes back and forth between Harry and Co.'s home-lives and their final heist. We get so much in roughly five minutes. The rest of the film's 128 minutes perfectly balances the widows' individual storylines as they prepare for the heist. We perfectly understand their desperation as they turn to crime. The climactic heist and its aftermath will not disappoint.

The ensemble is a great crew. Davis as Veronica tries to remain stoic in the face of tragedy. It isn't easy, though. Debicki gets a major share of the story as she romances a real-estate broker (Lukas Haas) to get info on their target. Rodriguez as Linda is unsure of the plan's success, but she proves herself strong-willed and quick witted. Erivo as Belle only joins later on but she's a formidable presence. Coon as Amanda is barely in the film but is more essential than we think.

Neither of the alderman candidates, Mulligan or Manning, are likable guys. Neither are Mulligan's grumpy, racist father Tom (Robert Duvall) or Jamal's brutal brother and enforcer Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya). The true mastermind of the heist is equally sympathetic and pathetic. The actors play their unlikability with finesse.

McQueen's usual editor and cinematographer, Joe Walker and Sean Bobbitt, head up a great technical crew. Walker gets points for his balance of action and drama. The flashbacks tell a lot without saying a lot. Bobbitt gets points for his spectacular long takes. One of these takes has Mulligan ride in his car and argue with an aide for a few minutes. Hans Zimmer's score is perhaps his most subdued in years. It doesn't show up until about 40 minutes or so. It's still a memorable soundtrack.

Widows isn't as flashy as the Oceans Eleven movies. But it's still a formidable heist movie. We're invested with its four protagonists as they stand up to their personal problems. Its ending is satisfying but not clean-cut. You'll think hard about the societal injustices fought here. You'll definitely remember that shocking swerve twist. Widows will fill your need for a subdued action film this holiday season. It's that good.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Six years ago, Wreck-It Ralph left his mark on the big screen. Now, Ralph and his video game companions return for more box office quarters in Ralph Breaks the Internet. It was worth the sequel gap.

Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) enjoy life as arcade characters and best pals. But Vanellope's bored of doing the same thing for the last six years. Ralph's attempt to spice up Vanellope's game, Sugar Rush, gets it broken and unplugged. The game's characters are now homeless because of a broken steering wheel. They have hope, though. Their arcade just got wi-fi. A replacement steering wheel is up on Ebay. Ralph and Vanellope set out for the World Wide Web to save the day.

They win the auction but have no way to pay. So they try some stuff. They try a Death Metal racing game, Slaughter Race, and meet its star racer, Shank (Gal Gadot). Ralph tries his hand at becoming a viral video star. That helps them get the money. But Vanellope decides that Slaughter Race is the game for her. Ralph doesn't want his best pal to go away. Unfortunately, his attempts to get her back involve a computer virus. A World Wide Wipeout is imminent.

There's plenty of logistical questions in the story. How would a fictional character get real world money? But it's just a movie, so let's relax. There's a good story by directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston and their co-writers. Its greatest strength is its seemingly simple conflict. There's a looming deadline before Sugar Rush is taken away, but what else? There's no Big Bad except for Ralph's insecurities. They wreck Ralph and Vanellope's relationship as much as the internet. Ralph getting over them firewalls the virus.

The returning characters are a great bunch. Ralph and Vanellope are a likable pair of best friends. Their conflict is understandable; they're like two friends with one moving away. It was nice to see them make a long distance friendship work in the end. Shank is an awesome new character and her motley crew is a cool wild bunch. Even Disney's Princesses come in the story when Vanellope finds a Disney site. Their best moment is when they all pitch in to save Ralph from falling to his doom.

The visual spectacle is as great now as it was then. Sugar Rush looks as tasty as ever. The sprawling Internet world is pleasing to behold. Even the dark and grim Slaughter Race is appealing. The user avatars remind me of Nintendo Miis, which is fun to see. On the audio side, there's a great score by Henry Jackman to set the scenes. Alan Menken even contributes a Disney song parody for Vanellope. It's pretty funny to see the Slaughter Race cast participate in the song.

Ralph Breaks the Internet goes nicely for 112 minutes. It's somewhat too long, but seeing Ralph and Vanellope in their new surroundings was fun. It helps that the Internet Jokes, while bountiful, fail to drown the story. It's as good as the first film was. Stay during the credits to see a few more gags. Keep your eye out during the movie for the one and only Stan Lee in avatar form.

Nuff said.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

To answer the film's question, yeah, we can forgive you.

Depends on what we're forgiving you for.

(Sees the movie.)

Let's work out the forgiveness part.

What am I talking about? I'm talking about the biopic Can You Ever Forgive Me? Directed by Marielle Heller, it's based on the memoirs of Lee Israel, played here by Melissa McCarthy. Lee Israel wrote a few biographies, but they never caught on. At the start of the film, Lee's alcoholism and abrasiveness gets her fired from her desk job. Her agent, Marjorie (Jane Curtin), is at the end of her rope with her. She'll certainly get evicted. And her kitty, Jersey, is sick.

Lee procures a letter from Fanny Brice and sells it to a collector. This is after she forges another paragraph on it. She then forges a few more letters from literary giants like Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich and Dorothy Parker and sells them. Her partner-in-crime is Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant), a flamboyant grifter. The scheme makes them comfortably rich. At least, until a few gaffes brings the scheme down.

Lee's abrasiveness doesn't win her any fans. But McCarthy's performance shows Lee for the sad, lonely lady she is. She's socially awkward rather than simply uptight. Her fondness for Jersey helps her case. Her vet bills are what inspire her to do this drastic action. By the end, even when she expresses no remorse for fraud, we're pleased that she's happy in life.

As Hock, Richard E. Grant is a delightful smooth talker. He's a great extrovert to Lee's introvert. His dialogue is more often than not hilarious. He's likable even if he's a bit careless. He retains his audience sympathy even after one tragic mistake near the end. There's good makeup work depicting his physical appearance, especially his late stage AIDS at the end.

The screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty is a great asset. It goes into great detail of how Lee and Jack pulled off their scheme.  You'll feel bad for the poor dealers who get duped. It's so intricate you'll wonder how it falls apart. When it does, you'll feel the pressure as the Feds come in. You'd only be lost if you don't know who much of the impersonated ones are.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a captivating biopic of a literary fraud. It's a strong story about flawed people. It's about a woman who comes out of her shell. It's a deeply-layered tale that'll leave you pondering its title question. Honestly, some people have done worse than her, so I might forgive her.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them started a magical five-film series. It progresses now with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. And I'm wondering if five films are necessary. Four would do just nicely.

The Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes from magical prison transport. Like Voldemort after him, Grindelwald sets out to dominate the Muggles. He hopes to enlist the troubled Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) to his cause. Meanwhile, magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is travel-banned after the mayhem in the last film. Dumbledore (Jude Law) helps Newt get to Paris to find Credence.

There's quite a bit of subplots thrown in. Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz), Newt's future sister-in-law, has a secret key to Credence's past. So does Yusuf Karma (William Nadylam). Credence surely wants to know who he is, too. There's also Nagini (Claudia Kim), Voldemort's future familiar, here a woman cursed to one day become a permanent snake. Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) and his girlfriend, Queenie (Alison Sudol), have issues to sort out. 

David Yates once again visualizes a script from JK Rowling herself. Like the first film, this entry has a bunch of details crammed into a tight 135 minutes. Credence's true identity is revealed after a convoluted assortment of exposition. The final reveal is a bit confusing, but still surprising. Nagini is underutilized compared to her future importance. Once again, it's a relief that there's no pop quiz after the movie.

The cast does great with what they have. Redmayne as Newt is still a likable nerd. Even though Redmayne is older than Callum Turner, who plays his brother Theseus, you'll believe he is the younger one. Law as Dumbledore makes for a great wise and crafty wizard. Kim as Nagini is sympathetic, which makes her tragic in hindsight. Kravitz as Leta is compelling as well. Leta's revelation is shocking, but she doesn't lose her audience sympathy. Depp as Grendelwald is charismatic and his goals are understandable. Still, world domination doesn't seem the best way to do them. 

Among the supporting cast, Fiona Glascott completely nails her brief cameo as a young Professor McGonagall.

The technical wizards once again conjure up great cinematic magic. The travelling circus where Nagini is introduced was a delight in CGI and production design. The giant cat-like ZouWu is a cool creature design. The other creatures and spells were dazzling, as usual. The costumes designed by Colleen Atwood are as unique as the sets. The cinematography by Philipe Rousselot continues the first film's dark and fanciful mood pretty well. The moods are accentuated perfectly by James Newton Howard's score.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald  is an OK prequel. Its heavy exposition is more perplexing than shocking. But it has a few good moments that save it from disaster. One can only wonder how they'll fill three more films of the Potter Prequelness. I'll wonder how they'll fill the remaining eighteen on-screen years before Grindelwald is finally defeated. Let's hope the next film gives us some good answers.

The Girl in the Spider's Web

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was advertised as "the feel bad movie of Christmas." Maybe that's why it didn't set the world on fire in 2011. Only now has Columbia Pictures brought Stieg Larsson's antisocial computer genius Lisbeth Salander from hibernation. Their latest cinematic adventure skips past Dragon Tattoo's two immediate followups - The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - in favor of David Lagercrantz's continuation, The Girl in the Spider's Web.

Salander (Claire Foy) roams Stockholm as an avenger of battered women. She takes up computer jobs too and Frans Balder (Stephen Merchant) has a job for her. He created Firefall, a program which accesses all the world's nuclear codes. He wants her to steal it to keep it out of the wrong hands. She hacks into the NSA to get it. Agent Needham (LaKeith Stanfield) spots the hack and tracks down Salander. Some shady goons find her first, take the program and blow up her warehouse apartment.

Salander survives the attack. She gets her hacker friend Plague (Cameron Britton) and journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Sverrir Gudnasson) to help her. The goons find Balder and Salander is forced to go on the run with his son, August (Christopher Convery).

Salander's long lost twin sister Camilla (Sylvia Hoeks) is the criminal mastermind behind the plot. She and her gang, The Spiders, plot to use Firefall for evil. They need August's savant talents to help them unlock Firefall. Lisbeth has to confront her past to save the present.

Director Fede Alvarez's (Don't Breathe) aesthetic matches nicely with the first film. Pedro Luque's cinematography is dark and alluring; the vast snow is a spectacular sight. Editor Tatiana S. Riegel makes the action nice and concise. Roque Banos's eerie score works wonders for the nightmarish opening credits. It's a great investment for $43 million.

The screenplay by Alvarez, Jay Basu and Steven Knight is a mixed bag. Lisbeth's payback on a wife-beating businessman was perfectly executed. Lisbeth and Blomkvist's reunion was a nice moment. But a few details seem to allude to the last two novels which the film skipped over. Characters seem to know about Alexander Zalachenko (Mikael Persbrandt), Lisbeth's abusive father, when they didn't in the last film. Lisbeth considers Camilla a sociopath before she finds out she's a criminal mastermind?! The double and triple crossing amongst the bad guys was pretty convoluted. It felt longer than its 117 minutes, which is a half-hour shorter than Dragon Tattoo.

Foy makes for a memorable Lisbeth. She's a brutal character, though considerably softer than last time. She's clearly traumatized by her past but moves on. That's a heroine. Her supporting cast is a nice bunch. Hoeks as Camilla is a compelling villain. Gudnasson's Blomkvist was a likable guy. Stanfield as Needham was cool too. While Persbrandt as Zalachenko only appeared in the prologue, we didn't need much to tell what kind of man he is.

The Girl in the Spider's Web is a fine reintroduction to Lisbeth Salander. It might've helped had they adapted the previous two novels. It would've helped transition between Dragon Tattoo Lisbeth and this one. Its convoluted plot is confounding, but its action doesn't disappoint. There's enough good here for a quiet fall matinee. Don't worry. It's not the feel bad movie of the holiday season.

The Grinch

Yes, it's The Grinch, that Dr. Seuss fiend
who stole Christmas 'til his scruples intervened.
Played once by Karloff and then by Jim Carrey,
Benedict Cumberbatch is him in film number three.

The Grinch would rather avoid the Whos on Christmas
But the Whos' holiday this year is ambitious.
It's three times bigger than ever. It's almost here.
If only the Grinch can make the pain disappear.

But that's what he'll do with his dog, Max.
Dress up as Santa and take all their knick-knacks,
And their presents and fun and decorations galore
Christmas won't bother him anymore!

But one Cindy-Lou Who, who's older than two,
Wants none for herself but mom Donna Lou.
But her plan to catch Santa and let him know
Will make The Grinch's little heart grow.

This Seussical expansion gives The Grinch a sympathetic backstory and new characters to interact with. The most memorable are the cheery Who Mr. Bricklebaum (Kenan Thompson), the mayor of Whoville (Angelea Lansburry), and Fred the Reindeer. Cindy Lou Who's new subplot has some funny and nice bits. Pharrel Williams was great as the Narrator; his dialogue fits right in with the story. It breezes by for a nice 90 minutes.

And the Grinch himself? Cumberbatch delightfully hams it up as Whoville's resident grump. His maniacal scheming is entertaining. His desperate and lonely side is believable. When his Grand Theft Christmas fails, he is emotionally confused rather than supervillain confused. And his acceptance into Who society was great.

The character and scenic designs are appealing CGI realizations of Seuss. Details like the Christmas decorations and the Grinch's gadgets are diverse and colorful. Danny Elfman's score fits right in with the silliness and sadness. It makes wonderful use of the cartoon version's Welcome Christmas.

The Grinch is a fun take on the oft-told story. It doesn't hit low like the 2000 film. But its pace wasn't that tight. Was it just me or were the Grinch's backstory flashbacks too sparse? Then again, its story of redeeming the grumpy and bitter is as great now as it was back then. It's a good matinee for the holiday season. It's not exactly Christmas now, but it's sure to get you in the mood.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

The Nutcracker is perhaps the most famous ballet in the world. So, of course, it's been adapted into a few movies before. The last film version, The Nutcracker in 3D, crashed and burned in 2010. Let's see if Disney can do any better with its version, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Clara Stahlbaum's mind was at unease. Eek! Is that a mouse?!
Her mother was dead, like many a movie mom was ...
She left her family all gifts for this day before Christmas.
Clara got a mechanical egg. What does it do?
It's locked. She needs the key to see through.

Her godfather Drosselmeyer has a Christmas Party.
He leaves Clara the key, which is under a tree.
It's down a weird hall and how's this for ya?
She finds the key in the tree on the set of Narnia?

No. It's the Land of Snowflakes, one of four realms.
They each have a regent right at the helm.
The Lands of Sweets and Flowers are two more
And the last realm is trouble galore.
The Land of Amusements is at its nadir
It's ruled by bad mice and one Mother Ginger.

Clara's mother ruled the four realms once before.
So now Clara has their peace to restore.
The Nutcracker Hoffmann joins her mission
But the real enemy is someone beyond suspicion.

The film started with Lasse Hallstrom (My Life as a Dog, The Cider House Rules) as sole director before it added Joe Johnston. The screenplay by newcomer Ashleigh Powell gets points for its original twists. The actual villain was amusing to find out. Its main plot is otherwise cliche. The lack of dancing might disappoint some, but the original story (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by ETA Hoffmann) wasn't so dance heavy either. There's a problem, though, when the title character is very much a supporting character.

The cast, including Mackenzie Foy (Clara), Morgan Freeman (Drosselmeyer) and Helen Mirren (Mother Ginger), are well-suited for their character types. The biggest surprise is Keira Knightley as the squeaky-voiced Sugar Plum Fairy. She's all cutesy and nice, a bit too much, but she's got a strong mean side. Jayden Fowora-Knight does his best as Hoffmann the Nutcracker. There's also a pair of "comic relief" Toy Soldiers who are just forgettable.

Tchaikovsky's iconic score was adapted by James Newton Howard. Quite a bit is recognizable while other tracks are eerily distorted. Listen closely for some new music. The visuals accompanying the score are a mixed bunch. The colorful production and costume designs (by Guy Hendrix-Dyas and Jenny Beavan, respectively) is appealing. The makeup design is a bit too much, especially with Sugar Plum. The visual effects have some noticeable CGI, though it works for the villain's Tin Soldiers. Mother Ginger's Matryoshka Clown is a suitably creepy creation. The best work goes with The Mouse King, imagined here as a conglomerate of Mice.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a fine take on a ballet. I've seen the ballet multiple times already and I appreciate the few divergences from the many times told tale. Most of them, anyway. Its story is acceptable even if it's in familiar movie terms. It's 99 minutes of matinee goodness. You'd probably be better off here than with the 2010 film.

Bohemian Rhapsody

INT. MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY - DAY

JETHRO walks the halls. He reaches the Dinosaur Exhibit and finds FOUR PIRATES making off with bones. They have a fight and Jethro's overwhelmed.

JETHRO:
To gain a brief advantage you've contrived,
But your proud triumph will not be long lived.

PIRATES
Don't give us a sad face, for we know the game.

JETHRO
On my allegiance I make a stronger claim.
I command you yield, I command you yield

... in Freddie Mercury's name!

The Pirates drop what they're doing.

JETHRO
You yield?

PIRATES
We yield at once, with humbled mien,
Because, with all our faults, we love our Queen.

Before we waste any more time wasted because of this Pirates of Penzance parody, let's discuss Bohemian Rhapsody, the story of four men who took the name Queen.

In 1970, Farrokh Bulsara (Rami Malek) meets the band Smile just a minute after their frontman quit. Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) are impressed with Farrokh's vocal abilities and hire him. Farrokh becomes Freddie Mercury and Smile becomes Queen. They become a sensation with their six-minute opus of the film's title.

But it's not easy for Freddie. He finds himself falling for men and women. Among them are his manager Paul Prenter (Allen Leach) and girlfriend Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton). He hopes to make his traditional Parsi parents proud. The Band struggles with creative differences. A record executive wants to sign Freddie to a solo career. And there's the looming threat of AIDS.

While Bryan Singer is credited as director, Dexter Fletcher took over after Singer left the film under certain circumstances. The screen story they realized was by Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan. Freddie's introduction to the band and their success following the title song goes by pretty quickly. Almost too quickly. The story overshadows the other members of Queen, especially with John Deacon (Joseph Mazello). They are important but Freddie is the overall frontman of the story. On a positive side, them creating their songs led to highly energetic scenes. Their fight with executive Ray Foster (Mike Myers) over the title song's length was entertaining.

The film's greatest strength is Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. His story follows the familiar musical biopic route but Malek's performance brings him front and center. He's a likable, sympathetic man off-stage and a dynamic showman on-stage. And we see him live up to his stage persona in real life. His reaction to his diagnosis - to keep on playing - is courageous. Great sound mixing allows the real Freddie's recordings to dub over Malek's voice.

Editor/Composer John Ottman and Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel get high marks for the concert scenes. The shear magnitude of concert goers, especially in the climactic performance at Live Aid, is mind-blowing. I'm sure a lot of the crowd were CGI extras and if they were, it was great CGI. The film's soundtrack is a great setlist of Queen's music. Though it's a pity that the film skims over their involvement with Flash Gordon. That song was awesome.

Anyway, Bohemian Rhapsody is a finely paced music biopic. It's not an accurate depiction of Queen's history but it's a good introduction to the band. And, to reiterate, it's a great showcase for Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. It's sure to rock you for 135 minutes. Even for a bit.