With a 12A certificate, Bohemian Rhapsody by the Oscar-nominated writer of Darkest Hour and The Theory of Everything, Anthony McCarten, is very much a case of “Don’t frighten the horses” and “No sex please, we’re British”. With the first two temptations of Ian Dury’s anthem Sex and Drugs playing second fiddle to Rock and Roll.

Thankfully, the music, the showmanship and that voice, that hair-raising, octave-stretching, solar plexus-punching voice – an amalgamation of Freddie Mercury and Rami Malek, with additional vocals by the terrific Canadian rock musician Marc Martel – are worth the entrance fee alone. The highlight of which is the closing recreation of Queen’s legendary Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium, the audio tracks of which are released for the first time as part of the soundtrack.

In addition to the greatest hits (they’re all there: Another One Bites The Dust, Radio Ga Ga, We Are The Champions and the title track which Freddie, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, describes as “I think it has potential”), Malek’s performance is nothing short of exceptional in that he captures the star’s vocal and physical flair and flamboyance to a capital T. As well as nailing his darkest doubts and demons with a little-boy-lost stare.

A theatricality mirrored in McCarten’s catty turn of phrase: “I pity your wife if you think six minutes is forever,” says Freddie to fictional EMI hot shot Ray Foster (Mike Myers) who refuses to release Bohemian Rhapsody as a single due to its extensive running time. A miscalculation of stratospheric proportions which prompts Freddie to full stop negotiations with a curt: “You will forever be known as the man who lost Queen.” Miaow!

Bookending proceedings with the Live Aid concert, the film, directed by X-Men’s Bryan Singer, dispenses with the artist formerly known as Farrokh Bulsara’s formative years and kickstarts with Freddie offering his services to a pub band in need of a singer. “Not with those teeth, mate,” barks a cute Ben Hardy as Roger “the dentist” Taylor. But once Freddie opens his pipes (“four additional incisors” means “more space in my mouth, more range”), it’s a case of the King is dead, long live the Queen. But not after a racist heckle from an unimpressed punter: “Where’s Tim? Who’s the Paki.”

Chronicling their meteoric rise and thunderbolt and lightning fallouts, with Gwilym Lee as Brian “the astrophysicist” May and Joseph Mazzello as John “the electrical engineer” Deacon, the film rattles through the band’s personal and professional milestones, including Freddie’s long-term relationship with his Love Of My Life Mary Austin (sensitively portrayed by Lucy Boynton), his tempestuous relationship with his personal manager Paul Prenter (Allen Gillen in fine Machiavellian form) and his rock solid relationship with the straight-talking Irishman Jim Hutton (Aaron McCusker quietly impressive).

Risky, experimental, exotic, outrageous, fearless – adjectives used to describe Freddie’s “not looking back, just forward” One Vision which, sadly, is not matched by Singer and McCarten whose play it by numbers plotting and play it safe content barely scratches the surface of The Great Pretender who found “the in between moments” intolerable. What they have created, though, is an affectionate, laugh-out-loud and life-affirming celebration of one of the greatest entertainers of all time (“I’m a performer, darling, not a Swiss train conductor.”) whose incredible voice was, is and will forever remain A Kind Of Magic.

Director: Bryan Singer
Writers: Anthony McCarten (screenplay by), Anthony McCarten (story by)
Stars: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Joseph Mazzello
Peter Callaghan
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