Finding gold in a silver mine (“Honky Cat” reference) might be an expert task when finding such a unique and memorable biopic that is “out, out, out of sight” like Dexter Fletcher’s “Rocketman”.
Unlike last year’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” where it still was a good movie of course, it played the music biopic treatment way too safe. I am questioning why in my original review of that movie did I give it an 8.5/10?
“Rocketman” has all the right ingredients to make an energetic biopic making it the strongest music biopic yet since F. Gary Gray’s “Straight Outta Compton”. That might be since they are both rated R.
It tells about the major pin points of Elton John’s career you probably read from Wikipedia 200,000 times. Trust me. There’s a more effective difference when looking at the screen. You’ll see.
Reginald Dwight (soon known as Elton John) was developing in his childhood to be a destined piano player with his mother teaching many classical piano pieces from Schubert and Mozart. He also had a rough n’ tough father to deal with in addition.
Seguing into the next chapter of his life after a wild bar sequence set to “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”, Taron Egerton now plays the adult version of Elton John. He soon encounters a certain someone named Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) introduced by Ray Williams of Elton’s British record label, “Dick James Music”.
Does Bernie Taupin now have to accept Elton John’s homosexual aspects? I think he does.
Both Elton and Bernie wrote a good amount of hits that changed the music industry like “Border Song (Holy Moses)”, “Your Song”, and “Take Me to the Pilot”.
Then, Elton John might have encountered the most abusive man in his “fantasy”, music manager John Reid, whom you may have seen him before in “Bohemian Rhapsody” played by Aidan Gillen.
Now played by an Oscar-worthy Richard Madden, he not only wants Elton to openly tell his parents that he is gay, but his abusive behavior also makes him addicted into the wonderful (sarcastic) world of drugs. “Good grief.” as Charlie Brown likes to say.
“Rocketman” is truly how you do a music biopic that not only tributes the legend’s music, but also goes even deeper into the person’s life rather than being a wussy chicken and being safe with it like “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
I will just say this right off the bat that Taron Egerton better get nominated for his edgy and exuberant performance as Elton John. His singing during when he covers Elton John’s songs sounds EXACTLY like him. Especially during songs like “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, the titular “Rocketman”, and “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”, the songs bring such an allusion to the story whilst making sense.
Not to lie, the movie is absolutely unique to the point where I can understand what Dexter Fletcher said about “Rocketman” not being a biopic.
What I wasn’t expecting out of a film like “Rocketman” is that the film is set like “Forrest Gump” where the rehabilitated Elton John narrates his life leading up to where he is at a drug talk. The narrative itself feels both ingenious and new to the perspective of music biopics in general.
With all of the consistent singing through each character, it had an energetic vibe like “La La Land” mixing with a Stephen Sondheim musical like “Sweeney Todd”.
Richard Madden and Jamie Bell are sure to be shoe-in Oscar contenders for Best Supporting Actor for their performances as John Reid and lyricist Bernie Taupin respectively. They both feel like they are vital pin points in Elton John’s life whether it is for the best or for the worst.
Although the sex scenes aren’t as explicit as you’d think, this movie goes very deep into Elton John’s drug and behavioral decisions and doesn’t hold any punches (not even a John Cena punch). All I have to say is that the best example of this is when it takes place at a pool party. You can tell it took notes from “Walk the Line” and “Straight Outta Compton”.
The movie’s only flaw is that there are a tiny bit of inaccuracies here and there. The song order can not matter at times during the first 30 minutes, but during the scene where Elton John tests out tunes to Ray Williams at Dick James Music, it can show.
Basically, people in 1970 live in a world where “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” and “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” exist, yet the “Disco Duck” and the Michael Jackson “Wiz” scarecrow doesn’t. That’s just wrong.
“Rocketman” is a film that needs to be deserved to be seen on the big screen again and again for its imaginative and creative world Fletcher builds for the legendary piano man. It’s important to see a biopic about studying a musical legend that is surrounded by inhibited secrets.
That is the story of how “Bohemian Rhapsody” dared to be. Can I compare that movie even more?
Grade: 9/10
