It’s hard to imagine something that can live up to the expectations of a great performer like Freddie Mercury. His unprecedented style, vocal range, and musicality make him one of the most unique musicians to this day.

Rami Malek, who portrays Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, surpasses any expectations of a reincarnation of the Queen frontman, even getting Oscar buzz. It is not because of Malek’s near perfect portrayal of Mercury, but his dedication to the personality of the singer.

Bohemian Rhapsody follows Freddie Mercury as he rises to fame with Queen and explores his identity personally and musically. Not only does is shine a spotlight on Mercury’s achievements, but it also informs about the dynamic of the band as they dealt with the relationships with each other while trying to stand out in their music.

The movie highlights the initiation of Queen and their journey to fame as four guys who were suddenly introduced to media attention.

The one thing you cannot underestimate is the presence of great rock performances throughout the movie. It is almost as if you are watching a concert movie of performances by Mercury. Unequivocally, Rami Malek creates a Freddie Mercury that captivates his genuine love of performing and the audience in a way that perfectly represents Mercury’s unconventional personality.

No one can watch Malek’s performance and not fall in love with Mercury. He is a genius in the music industry when no one thought his songwriting creativity especially during the seventies would be successful.

The film did have setbacks during production when Bryan Singer left his position and his duties were taken over by Dexter Fletcher, although director credits were given to Singer. It caused creative differences in the movie most likely leading to points were the film began to drag in scenes with that were seemingly over-dramatized. This led to a movie totaling 135 minutes of mixed emotions for viewers.

Although the film has been criticized for “straight-washing” Freddie Mercury, Malek created a representation of Mercury that adequately represented his sexuality while not distracting from the purpose of the movie to tell a story of a band’s history.

Bohemian Rhapsody is the story about the music of Queen, the band that created one of the greatest live rock performances of all time, and the undisputed extraordinary lead singer.

Rating: A-