Director: Bryan Singer
Year Released: 2018
Rating: 1.5
Self-congratulating rock-bio about the late Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek), his rise to fame with the rest of the British band Queen, their falling out over egos (as expected), Freddie's discovery that he has AIDS (that promiscuity!) and their notable performance for Bob Geldof's Live Aid concert in the mid-1980's. The script goes through all-too-familiar territory, 'revealing' the moments the band's hits were first 'conceived' - "oh! so that's how 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was put together!" "ah! that's where the stomping sound from 'We Will Rock You' got started!" "hey! that's the bass line from 'Another One Bites the Dust!" and so on - and then manipulating a good deal of recorded history to 'fit the plot' (because who cares about facts?). Malek, with dental prosthetics, did his homework and the mannerisms are on point, although the movie is more interested in the songs (which were good enough that they didn't need further promotion) than Mercury-as-a-person (aside from his sexual preferences and unusual relationship with Mary Austin).
