‘Rocketman’ is the new film from the director Dexter Fletcher, who controversially took over the final direction of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
Dexter proved his ability as a director when he stepped into the helm of Bohemian Rhapsody in the final stages of the biopic.
I feel that Rhapsody was remarkable from a technical point of view but lacked a cohesive direction due in the performances due to the change in director towards the final cut.
Rami Malek, however, gave great life to the iconic and genuine Freddie Mercury.
Rhapsody was a box office hit so Fletcher had a lot to live up to when directing ‘Rocketman’, a biographical film of the legendary Elton John.
Fletcher had the added pressure of working with Elton John himself who was producer for ‘Rocketman’ but rose to the challenge and produced a cinematographic success which exceeded the expectations created when “Bohemian Rhapsody” raised the bar in box office biopics.
Surrounding himself with a talented cast of actors such as Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard was key to Fletcher’s success as a director, aided by a fantastic technical and artistic team including cinematographer George Richmond and Elton John himself who was in charge of the soundtrack.
Praise must be handed to the sensational performance carried out by Egerton (who already worked with Dexter Fletcher in “Eddie the Eagle”). From the moment you let yourself drop in the armchair the actor delights you with an overwhelming repertoire of movements, gestures, phrases and expressions of the genius of pop he is giving life to.
Egerton introduces you to the character of John so seamlessly that he has no trouble making you believe that you’re really seeing the real Elton John on the screen. I will not say he deserves to be nominated for best actor during awards season as it’s still early days and still left too much to see, but absolutely Egerton is a clear candidate to consider.
Rocketman stands out remarkably in each of its sections, from the script to the assembly, which pleasantly surprised and brings much rhythm to the film using many of the musical numbers in a simple “fan service” effect rather than being shoehorned in because it’s “cool”. The music is used effectively as bridges between the different stages of the protagonist’s life.
Each musical theme has narrative weight in the plot, the songs don’t entertain you but they also tell part of the story. They help in the development of the character and serve to reflect his state of mind, emotions, fears or insecurities.
Visually this film is marvellous and, like happens with all great music numbers, the colours and the illumination also acts like a narrative, in the style of movies like “Drive” from Nicolas Winding Refn or “The Grand Budapest Hotel” from Wes Anderson.
Another reason why Rocketman stands out is that is not kind with the Elton John figure. It’s risky and dares to tell not a musical achievements story, but a drama which treats fearless themes like the drug addiction, alcoholism or nymphomania and how the fame could break a person morally and psychologically.
The film is full of snippets and scenes that will remain forged in your mind for a long time after it has left the box office.
In conclusion, this is remarkable movie which is makes you dance, sing, laugh and cry – and these days that’s really hard to find.
Review by Juan Miguel Plaza Gomez