Is this just fantasy? or is it Bohemian Rhapsody (review)?

Bohemian Rhapsody (12a)

Dir. Bryan Singer

Reviewed by Matt (@Cleric20) Adcock

“It’s a kinda magic...”

All we hear is radio ga ga, and it’s incredible, as this cinematic celebration of the hugely influential band Queen bursts with authentic feeling energy. Packed with their music and showing the rise of their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury (Rami ‘Mr. Robot’ Malek).

Born just a poor boy, from a poor family Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. Director Bryan ‘Man of Steel’ Singer does an impressive job of tracing the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound.

"The greatest showman"

Is this the real world? Queen tore up the rock-and-roll rulebook and went on to reach world-wide unparalleled success. The film details how Freddie, embattled by dubious influences, pursues the money and ego of solo career, embraces and hedonistic lifestyle and pays a heavy price – which is bold to not just gloss over some of the darker times of his life.

And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end - sums up the feeling when Freddie and his band-mates Brian May (Gwilym ‘Fresh Meat’ Lee), Roger Taylor (Ben ‘Only The Brave’ Hardy), and John Deacon (Joseph ‘The Social Network’ Mazzello) reunite for the unforgettable Live Aid performance which forms a glorious climax to the film. The cinematography is stunning and the mass euphoria induced by Freddie’s crowd charming exploits on stage is captured with pumping energy has the feel of a live gig.

"Champions of the world"

I want to break free, Bohemian Rhapsody is a powerhouse musical experience, showing Queen rightly cementing a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day. Even if you somehow never counted yourself as a fan, this really is two hours of your time well spent allowing a peek behind the curtain into the life of one of music's biggest legends.

"Love of my life"

You've broken my heart and now you leave me… The confusion and heart-break Mercury goes through with his sexuality and his marriage to Mary Austin (Lucy ‘Sing Street’ Boyton) is handled with sensitivity even though his eventual relationship with Jim Hutton (Aaron McCusker) feels a little tacked on.

Forever is our today - Bohemian Rhapsody is a gorgeous testament to a unique talent. Worth experiencing in IMAX if possible, this is a kinda magic that will rock you!

Out of a potential 5 - you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - The show must go on - in style)

Awesomeness öööö – Heavy Queen nostalgia, Live Aid is a show stopper!

Laughs ööö – Funny in places

Horror öö –  Tragic and heartbreaking too

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Born to entertain?

First Man - Darkmatters Review

First Man (12a)

Dir. Damien Chazelle

Reviewed by Matt (@Cleric20) Adcock

“That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

It’s slightly hard to believe that we managed to send men to the moon in the 1960s… With limited yet revolutionary tech, the space race between the USA and the USSR was at boiling point. After the determined Soviets had beaten the United States to nearly every new breakthrough, the US goes ‘all in’ on the first manned mission to the moon.

"nervous tension"

First Man is the tale of astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan ‘Drive’ Gosling) who history tells was the first to set foot on the lunar surface. His life and the challenges he faces are what director Damien ‘La La Land’ Chazelle shines a thoughtful and insightful light on. Gosling is on incredible form showing the man behind the spacesuit as he has to deal with tragic personal loss whilst going through the punishing and draining NASA training.

Back home his wife Janet (Claire ‘Girl in the Spider’s Web’ Foy) frets every time Armstrong has to take part in the training flights and exercises – and with good reason because several astronauts died in the preparations. Foy is a good foil to Gosling as their family dynamic is pushed to breaking point – both deliver excellent performances.

"oooops"

The brave (or unhinged depending on how you look at it) decision Armstrong made to agree to captain the mission moon landing attempt, knowing full well that he may well not come back alive will live in infamy.

From the nail-biting Top Gun adrenalin rush of the opening atmosphere busting altitude test flight through to the epic, inspiring and breath-taking climactic moon landing, First Man is an intelligent and thought-provoking film.

The cinematography is staggering too, mixing handheld intimate, shaky shots with jaw-dropping CGI and the fact it’s shot on lower resolution stock for a much more authentic, almost ‘archive’ feel. Unsurprisingly it’s the space scenes that burn themselves into your mind’s eye – giving the film a mesmerising quality.

"home support"

The sound is an integral effective element too – hearing the rattle of the nuts and bolts of the quickly assembled craft popping and straining under the huge pressure of the space travel adds immensely to the tension.

First Man delivers deep human drama, along with staggering human achievement – this is a treat for the senses which deserves to the witnessed on the biggest screen you can find. Boldly go…

Out of a potential 5 - you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö1/2

(4.5 - Spectacular and heartfelt drama that is literally out of this world)

Awesomeness öööö – Inspiring, nerve-shredding and eye-popping scenes

Laughs öö – Limited funny business

Horror öö –  Loss and nervous tension

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Desire to serve humankind