★★★★
An epic musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years.
Classification: 15
Dexter Fletcher and Taron Egerton strike gold once more with this creative and electrifying portrayal of the life and music of Elton John. While at first, the structure and story beats may appear predictable, Fletcher’s ingenious techniques to blend story and song together make Rocketman a joy to watch. The film embraces its musical side with the confidence of a long-running West End show and the strength of its lead actor creates both a vulnerability and madness to the proceedings.
Egerton impresses at every juncture in a career-defining role that showcases his many talents, Rocketman doesn’t want to shy away from Elton John’s mistakes and darker history and Egerton gives his all to portray this pain. This openness allows for the fantasy and drama to take on a much deeper meaning as we see Elton descend to his lowest points, the music informs his mental space and we see how such a prominent musician has been inspired by his experiences. To see the characters break into song isn’t just an excuse to play one of the classics but a way to see how Egerton’s Elton is trapped, not only by his memories but by the impressions those have of him.
This visionary execution of the musical elements of the film is only a piece of what makes Rocketman so engaging. Director Dexter Fletcher allows for real insecurity and suffering to be seen on screen in tandem with Elton’s desire for love and acceptance. Egerton’s scenes with Jaime Bell’s Bernie Taupin and Richard Madden’s John Reid deliver powerful emotional moments of affection and betrayal. These scenes allow Fletcher to maintain the delicate balance of the film, the reality and the fantasy working together. This balance is strengthened by the editor Chris Dickens who weaves the audience through the maddening sequences and heartaches with ease.
It's not all perfect with some reveals and conclusions taking on a more theatrical tone than desired. For the most part, the film’s pacing is smooth and takes it times covering all the bases of Elton John’s life but there are beats where the film either is to brisk with what its covering or taking too long. Fletcher’s portrayal of John’s substance abuse and sexual orientation is tastefully presented, never becoming gratuitous or exploitative, these moments really show how Rocketman isn’t trying to hide or revise the story of Elton John. Egerton and Fletcher allow you to see the destructive nature of who Elton was, to those around him and most importantly himself.
Rocketman is a biopic unafraid to hold a light to its subject even with the subject as one of the producers. Fletcher and Egerton don’t use the film as a form of judgement but as a portrait of understanding, of how we can be corrupted by our pain and insecurities but how we can also heal and become better from it. This is about a broken man trying to fix himself, a man who just so happens to be a worldwide famous musician but more importantly a man who succeeded in doing so. Through the songs, dancing, drugs, sex and madness, Rocketman accomplishes a riveting visual spectacle that will resonate with those that know Elton well and those who don’t.
Director: #DexterFletcher
Release Date: May 22nd 2019.
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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