Rami Malek is the insider favorite for Best Actor on Oscar night

Finally caught it at a sold out Friday night showing (November 18) in Budapest where I lucked out and got the very last ticket. (At the PUSKIN Cinema).  Can't say I enjoyed it but I was entertained by the proceedings. I have never heard any Queen or Freddy Mercury music so I was watching it purely as an informational biopic depicting a pop music era that totally passed me by. At the time frame of the story  I was living in Japan and basically out of touch with all things western.

I was quite impressed with the acting of Rami Malek, perfectly cast, and saw it more as a struggle of him dealing with his fluctuating sexuality terminating in death by AIDS, than as a rock n roll epic. The turning point scene is where he tells the female love of his life that he is bisexual. It takes on a whole different direction from there. A tragic one.

The grand finale on July 13, 1985 in Wembley Stadium, the famous LIVE AID Concert,  is truly spectacular with literally a "cast of thousands".   Can't help wondering how they did that.  Musta been digital trickery because who can afford 80,000 extras -- but it was extraordinarily well staged.  I wouldn't mind watching it again on a rainy afternoon.

Rami Malek makes you glad that Sacha the Mad Baron didn't get the part.

Incidentally Malek is an Egyptian Copt (Coptic Christian)  which kind of fits the actual Mercury character, who was a Parsi of Indian origin. Therefore, in the film he is occasionally referred to as a "Paki", a pejorative term in England for Pakistanis.

The music is to my ears a bit grinding but the way the Queen musicians are shown on stage is the best such staging I have ever seen. Really gives you the feeling of what it feels like to be up there yourself in the middle of the band looking out at the crowd.

All in all a very well assembled film that could cop a handful of Oscars.

Review by Alex Deleon