Bohemian Rhapsody Review (Spoilers?)

 

Hey everyone, back with a review for Bohemian Rhapsody, the newest biopic of the band Queen, and especially of their lead singer, the incomparable Freddie Mercury. I don’t really know if this needs to be a spoiler-free review. I mean, Queen is and has been enough in the public psyche and their history isn’t exactly a secret. So, spoilers, I guess? I don’t know, do with this what you will.

Okay, so I don’t feel like a whole lot of introduction is needed here. Queen is… well it’s frickin’ Queen. The movie covers from Freddie Mercury joining the band and culminates with the Live Aid performance in 1985. I know there was some controversy about this movie, especially with the time it’s taken to get made, losing actors and directors over that time, and Bryan Singer being fired as director for increasingly erratic behavior and just plain not showing up to work. And, of course, making a movie featuring very prominently one of the most singular human beings to have lived on this earth. I don’t feel I’m hyperbolizing at all here, but I also love Queen so I may have a teensy bit of bias. I mean, even I was skeptical at first, even if that first pic of Rami Malek did look amazing, and wanted to reserve judgment until I saw more (it was that second trailer that got me really on board).    

And now the movie is out. It’s been very divisive, and that line seems to have drawn itself quite neatly between critics and the general audience. The difference between the audience reviews on IMDB and the critic ones on Rotten Tomatoes is staggering. People LOVE this movie, critics not so much. It’s actually quite fascinating to see the difference in opinion, no matter where you yourself stand. 

So on which side did I end up, and someone who kind of falls in the middle between general public and critic? I have to go with the people on this one. This film was fantastic. Despite any historical inaccuracies (and there a few), I had a great time with it.

The first thing I have to talk about is the performances. Because if the actors hadn’t worked, none of this would’ve. Across the board, even people who didn’t like the movie, it’s acknowledged that the standout here is Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. I have to applaud his dedication, because he just embodies Freddie in a way I didn’t think was possible. He’s almost effortless in that larger-than-life persona, but also brings so much emotion into his other, quieter side. You feel so much for him, for everything he’s going through trying to figure out his place in the world, even when on top of it. It’s a truly excellent performance. That being said, I don’t want to make it seem like the rest of the cast was slouching. Everyone was fantastic. And the eeriest part is that I’m pretty sure they just cloned the band for this movie, because the actors look so much like their counterparts that it’s honestly mindblowing.

movie is on the left, for reference

 

 I want to say especially Gwilym Lee as Brian May, but it really is all of them. It’s not just looks either, when you see the actors on stage or when they’re making videos and recording, they have all the little mannerisms down to a tee. Just wow. And huge props (no pun intended) to the costume department, because they did a phenomenal job bringing those iconic outfits to life. Also, Mike Myers is in this movie for a little bit. When he’s on, pay attention to what he says. There’s a line he has that I don’t want to spoil, but if you get the nod, you’ll appreciate it.    

Secondly, there’s no way to talk about Bohemian Rhapsody without talking about the music. As I said above, each of the actors does a wonderful job of evoking the feel of their respective band members when onstage, and the music is prevalent throughout, which, for a fan of the band (and why would you see this movie if you weren’t?) is awesome. And like I’ve said about other media (TV shows, video games, etc.): if it brings the subject, in this case Queen, to a new audience who can take what they get from the movie and then broaden their knowledge of it out further, then all the better. I know our kids have been getting on the Queen bandwagon more as of late, since we’ve had it on more often (listening to a 5 year-old singing Bicycle Race is hilarious, btw) in the car and around the house.

It's good for driving!

For a movie that critics are complaining is ‘skimming the surface’ too much, I found there to be a lot of emotion, and I was quite invested in the story and characters. It goes back to the performances being that good. In those quieter moments when you see Freddie’s loneliness or inner turmoil through Malek’s performance, it really hits you. When the characters are together, you feel their camaraderie and the high emotions when they argue, like in a family. Speaking of family, there aren’t a lot of scenes, but there are some great moments with Freddie’s parents and sister that are great. Because not even being a rockstar will stop your mom from showing off the baby pictures to your friends and girlfriend. I thought that was adorable. And the film ends on a high emotional swell, a triumph tinged bittersweet by the unavoidable fate that we all know is coming. 

Alright, so I keep talking about the critical, well, criticisms, and I should probably expand on those a little more, since I do have my own responses to them. That’s part of the reason why this review is so late, to be honest. Last night, when it was supposed to be done, me and hubby ended up spending more time in discussion about this movie and the stuff around it than actually doing the things we’d planned. Anyway, first off are historical inaccuracies. I am not generally merciful about historical inaccuracies (my skewering of Troy was particularly vicious)

like an arrow to the heel

 

 unless there are reasons, like 300 being based on the comic rather than actual history. From a story standpoint I can understand why they move Freddie’s diagnosis with AIDS to just before Live Aid, rather than two years later, but I’m not sure having the band ‘break up’ to reunite again to perform that show was necessary. In reality, Queen had just come off tour when they did Live Aid and Freddie’s solo album had been made when they’d been taking a mutually-agreed on break from touring.

couldn't resist.

 

 So, on one hand there’s the dramatic factor, and they’re going to fudge things, but I don’t know if all of them were necessary. It didn’t, and doesn’t take away my enjoyment of the movie, but you do have to be aware that it’s there. Even the Elder Spawn ‘humphed’ when I said it wasn’t 100% accurate this morning when I was asking him on his opinion. For the record he thought it was ‘great’, he ‘liked finding out more about Queen because I wasn’t exactly around for any of it’ (which is fair, considering I was only five when Freddie Mercury died, so I missed most of it myself), and he really liked the performances. The music went without saying. 

The second big complaint I saw is that the story was ‘too simplistic/standard/safe’, and that not enough was devoted to a ‘deep-dive’ into the band’s personal lives, and ‘glossed over’ things like Freddie’s sexuality and his own origins as a singer and musician. That seems like a lot, but it all kind of sounds similar in nature and I’ll try and condense that very long conversation from last night into a coherent counter-argument. First, the idea of the story being too standard or safe. My counter to this is that sometimes the characters are more important than the story, and thus the story is usually more simple in order to accommodate that. I’m going to make a controversial statement here. Black Panther had the most generic, by-the-numbers, I-knew-what-was-going-to-happen, Hero’s Journey, of plots. But the characters and the world it presented were more important than that in so many ways that it didn’t matter. The first Deadpool was hardly a deep plot either, but didn’t need it with the character’s outsized personality. As far as the deep-dive thing, in a film covering a span of 15-ish years in two hours, I’d rather see a whole film devoted to just one of these deeper issues and exploring that really hard rather than trying to cram so much into the film we got. Because the complaints would then be that’s its messy and does too much. There’s really only so much you can do. And I don’t understand the idea that it glossed over Freddie’s sexuality, because it didn’t. At all. As far as the band’s earlier origins go, yeah, it would’ve been cool, but that wasn’t what the movie focused on. Again, time constraints. But an early-life and early-Queen movie of its own would be really neat. I understand people want more, but I’ve seen what happens when you get too much in that one movie. And, with Brian May and Roger Taylor heavily involved, and with Freddie Mercury having been such a private person, maybe they wanted to continue to respect that? That’s pure conjecture, but it’s possible. My only real nitpick was that there was one shot during the Live Aid concert where the green screen was pretty noticeable.            

There was one other things the critics seemed to actually like, and was prominent in most reviews I saw from both sides. That finale. They recreate a big chunk of the 1985 Live Aid performance. And it’s a fantastic finale. I have watched the full Queen set from Live Aid (a good version here), but seeing it on the big screen here is so incredible. I obviously missed the real thing due to not being alive yet, so this is kind of the closest I’m going to get. And like I said earlier, it’s this triumphant, bombastic finale to a film, a culmination of the journey through the last two hours (and fifteen years). It goes out on a high note, leaving the inevitable of Freddie’s death to a title card instead. I mean, everyone knows that how it ends, why not go out on something amazing?  

Well, I haven’t written a review this long in a while! But, to sum it up, I had a great time with this movie. My nine-year-old liked this movie, and not just because John Deacon is played by the same guy who was Tim in Jurassic Park. I highly recommend it. Go see it for yourself. I’ll just leave you with a screenshot of my favorite user review from IMDB: 

What to Expect When You're Exercising

Alternate Title- It’s a Strange World or: How I Learned to Stop Griping and Love the Treadmill

Hey everyone, this is something really different from the usual today. I’ve thought about writing something like this for a little while but I’ve always put it off. Mainly because I didn’t want to come off as some kind of expert who knows what the hell they’re doing (I don’t, really), like I’m proselytizing (I’m not), or that I’m bragging (again, not). I just wanted to write the kind of advice that I myself could’ve used when I started this whole thing: something from a normal person who’s just trying to get in better shape and is honest about the process. So bear with me as I try to muddle through.

Okay, quick background on the whole thing. Back in May of this year I was feeling like crap. I was tired, my feet and knees would ache after being at work (I’m on my feet all day), and I wasn’t sleeping well. I happened to put a new battery in our bathroom scale and stepped on it for the first time in a long time. It said 222 lbs (about 100 kg). I suppose that’s not a huge number, and I’d never been overly obsessed with my weight, but for some reason, it got to me and I told myself that between the number on the scale and how I felt, it was time to do something. For me, personally, it was time for a change. So I started walking. Just going out in the evening, first around the block and progressively further. By the time I’d plateaued on the outside walking, I was doing almost 5kms (almost 3 miles) a day. I was literally doing a loop around the entire length of our town. It was around back to school and getting dark earlier so it was a great time to switch to the gym. 

me and hubby last summer

This is what I’ve observed in the time between that day in May and today:

It’s Really Freakin’ Hard

I suppose this should be a no-brainer, but it really is tough. I was not in good shape, and I can admit that. I can also admit the reasons why, some are my fault, some are out of my control. I can’t stop the Hashimoto’s that completely effs up my thyroid function, but I’ve got a great doctor now that keeps a close eye on it and adjusts my meds accordingly. I have other meds that cause weigh gain as a side effect, but the alternative is not being functional, so there’s only so much I can do on that aspect. I don’t want to get super ‘too much information’ on you all, but I feel like I have to explain where I started from. There were definite things I were absolutely my fault though, like diet things, but I’ll touch on that more later.  

When I first started walking, I didn’t have an overly long route. It was around the block. Granted, given the layout of the street behind us, that’s longer than it sounds, but it wasn’t a long way. And it wasn’t a leisurely walk either (though it would be to me now, I think). And it was hard. I was like ‘I’m gonna die, right here’, griping to myself as I walked. And that first bit is the hardest, probably the first month to six weeks sucks until you really get into the routine. Honestly, I was a sweaty, wheezy mess at the start. But you’re doing it! You just have to get over that first hump of suckiness!

Take it Slow, But Don’t Get Too Comfortable, Either

Like I said above, I started by simply going for a walk outside. That’s absolutely it. And that’s fine, you don’t have to rush into things. In fact, I highly recommend you don’t. I did this when I started at the gym. Like I said above, I’d plateaued on my outside walks and needs to up things. My first three times at the gym, I upped things alright. Way too much. Made myself actually sick (protip: at the gym, drink water in small amounts at a time. Chugging will make you feel sick) and managed to pull a muscle in my arm. Don’t do that. I was dumb because I suddenly had all these fun machines and weights and stuff to play with, but you need to pace yourself. 

By that same token, you shouldn’t be too comfortable, either. You have to push yourself, just not overdo it, if that makes sense. When I was walking outside, one metric of how well things were going was how hot my feet would feel (summer on the prairies!) from how quickly I was walking. You should feel it, but not to the point you hurt yourself. If you’re not feeling it, you need to go up to the next level. Now I do a treadmill program where I alternate between very fast with a lower incline and a bit slower with a much higher incline. As I need to, I increase either speed or incline to make myself work harder. But if you feel like whatever you’re doing is too much, it’s fine to bring it down a little, even if just for that day! Don’t pull a muscle or be doubled over with a cramp just to hit that level, even if you did the day before. I’ve done it, and it sucks, and I’ve cut short entire gym sessions for it. I don’t recommend it. 

You Won’t Get the Kind of Results Magazine Covers Like to Claim

You ever see those crappy magazines, mainly aimed at women, with ‘Lose 14 pounds and 3 Dress Sizes in 7 Days!” splashed on the cover?

Yeah, these. I hate them.

 

 Yeah, in reality it doesn’t really work like that. It depends on several factors, not the least of which is you and your own personal body makeup. I mean, your mileage may vary and maybe you will have lost 3 dress sizes by the time you’ve lost 14 pounds, but I sure as hell hadn’t. I have lost ‘dress sizes’, but I don’t know how many, mainly owing to women’s clothing being really weird with sizing. But I do notice when I put something on and realize that it’s a lot looser-fitting than it used to be. For example, the jeans I bought for my X-23 costume that were almost too tight then are now almost too loose. It’s not gonna be overnight, at least if you want it to last. It’s like the adage ‘there’s good, cheap, and fast. You can pick two’.   

Get Yourself a Good Playlist and Good Shoes 

 

This is something I cannot stress enough. I wore out a pair of shoes by wearing them both to work and to walk and ended up with the mother of all blisters for it. Get a pair of dedicated workout shoes, and make sure they’re comfortable. As someone who spends all day on their feet, I appreciate comfortable shoes. 

The second thing is have a good playlist to exercise to. Get whatever fires you up and blast that while you work out. Tastes vary, but mine is full of Sabaton, Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Rammstein, Disturbed, etc. (a lot of people at the gym I go to listen to a lot of rap). It makes such a difference when you’ve got something to get your blood flowing, and helps with the lack of scenery if you’re at the gym staring at a wall or out a window. Some gyms have TVs and stuff, and if that works for you, then go for it, but I still strongly recommend a good set of music. There’s just something about it you can’t get from watching TV.   

You Don’t Have to be Competitive With Anyone But Yourself

This was actually my husband’s suggestion, and I like it for two reasons (one of which he probably wasn’t thinking of, even). 

First, if you’re like us and you’re un-athletic nerds who hated gym class, there’s good news! You don’t have to compete with, compare with, or even really talk to anyone else if you don’t want to! Weights? Unless you’re doing something with a spotter, solo. Machines? Solo. Treadmill/elliptical? Super solo. It doesn’t have to be sports, it just has to be physical activity. I hate running, which sounds silly considering how much cardio I do, so I don’t.

The second side to competing is that you don’t have to compete with anyone else as far as your progress goes. I had a least a month head start on the husband before he started working out as well, but we aren’t competing. We compare notes and discuss how much/what we did that day, but it’s not to see who did ‘better’. I’ve lost more weight, owing to my head-start, but he probably loses it easier than me who has to fight for every milestone. It’s a mutual support, but not a contest. Your progress is yours, and don’t worry about anyone else. 

Diet, Man. Diet Is Important

I guess this kind of goes without saying, but this plays back into the things you can control. I was eating too much junk, to start with. Chips are my bane, and bread. But more importantly, I was eating too much. My portions were totally out of whack. I was still eating like I had when I was younger, when I was a farm kid who did lots of physical work, but now out of habit. I actually started reading the nutrition information to see how much a serving actually was. I’m now one of those people that always checks when I’m buying things. We were already trying to make sure we were eating more fruits and vegetables, and then I began to incorporate eating better portions. And let me tell you, going down to proper portions also sucks. For the first little while, I got quite hungry, as I was used to eating so much more at a time. But you adjust, and now I don’t think I could actually eat that much in one go. But you do have to eat, just smartly. 

The other thing with diet is a really important one. My philosophy is ‘moderate, not eliminate’. Because if I can’t have a piece of my kid’s birthday cake, or a glass of wine, or whatever, then this is no kind of diet I want to be on. The idea is to be sensible. Also to stop snacking between meals, because that was something I was really bad for. Drink water, eat sensibly. It’s as simple and as hard as that, and really the best way to do it.    

Keep Your Eye on the Scale, But the Scale Isn’t Everything

I weigh myself a lot. I do it to keep myself accountable.  But it isn’t everything. For that first really crappy month to six weeks, I lost approximately no weight, even though I was working my butt off. Why? Because I wasn’t just burning fat, I was building muscle. If I get real hard into weights, the same thing might happen. And not only that, it’s not a nice smooth line from one end of a graph to the other. It’s more like a seismograph. Things go up, they go down. What time of day, how much you’ve eaten, even what you’re wearing (or not) while change the number on the scale. Don’t sweat it if you go up a little after indulging a bit, just keep working toward your goal. You gotta live too, and there’s no point in beating yourself up over it. Keep sticking to your routine, and it’ll even out again. This is a marathon, not a sprint.   

It’s Gets Better, and You Can Do It!

 It really does. You get to the point where you notice a change in yourself. I myself have more energy, I generally sleep better, and those sore knees are gone. And best of all, you’ll get to the point where you’ll feel really good after a workout. Your body will get all those happy chemicals going and you’ll still be tired and sweaty, but you’ll feel awesome. And you’ll want to do it, to get that feeling and because you’ve formed the habit of doing so.

I know how hard it is to start. If you’d told me on my birthday in January that I’d be not only doing this, but writing about it, I’d have laughed in your face. But here I am. I’ve lost about 30 pounds so far, which I once believed to be absolutely impossible. I haven’t seen numbers like this on the scale since before I got pregnant (the first time). And I’m not stopping just yet! I have a final goal in mind of where I’d like to be ideally, but I’m a ways away. So I’ll just keep on, ever onward! 

I took this tonight, after realizing all my most recent pictures had fake blood all over my face.

Well, I hoped you liked this rather long post. I’ve never written something like this, but like I said, I really wanted to write the kind of thing I could’ve used myself. No matter where you are on your journey through this whole exercise/healthiness business, I respect the hell out of you. You’re doing great, and you’ve got this!