Should Bohemian Rhapsody win Best Picture?
Me: I really liked the movie and feel it's deserving of its nomination, but I don't think it should win simply because I feel like it didn't reach its full potential. It was part documentary, part drama, but it wasn't focused enough on either to be truly great. And honestly, it didn't hit hard enough on the titular song's impact or sheer abnormality.
The wife: No. I didn't think it was that good. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Looking at the other nominated movies it's up against, I don't think this one quite measures up.
Do we recommend this movie?
Me: Totally recommend this movie to fans of the band and fans of good music in general. Queen was one of the more significant bands in history, and the movie mostly did the group justice (I'm not close to the most knowledgeable person on the band, but from what I know, I felt that).
The wife: Yes and no. If you're a big fan of Queen or Freddie Mercury, then yes, absolutely. But in general, not really. For me, it focused too much on Freddie Mercury's homosexuality and struggle with A.I.D.S., though I understand that was a big part of his life. I would've been more interested with a movie that focused on his musical talents and how he came up with Bohemian Rhapsody. I feel like they breezed over that too fast.
The best parts of this movie?
Me: Rami Malek's performance was sheer brilliance. His ability to handle himself in all different types of situations, whether with his band mates, on the stage, in private or anything else, all while boding a palpable confidence, was incredibly satisfying. The little we did get to see of the brain-storming sessions to create their most famous songs was fun. Granted, I wouldn't have liked it to be just a full-on behind-the-music story, I wish I could've peeked behind the curtain just a little bit more.
The wife: The acting was great. The casting was good, too. If you look at the real band and compare them to the actors, they're almost identical. And the music was good, too. Rami did a really good job of mimicking Mercury's on-stage performances.
The worst part of this movie?
Me: Pacing. The movie definitely dragged in places I didn't care to spend too much time in, and it raced through too many of the best scenes too quickly. The problem with being unfocused is you try to do too much, and if the director/writers honed in a little more on a particular aspect of the band instead of glossing over everything, it would've been much better.
The wife: The story didn't spend enough time on the band itself. It focused too much on Freddie Mercury and his lifestyle.