Well, I'm going to stand alone. I loved it and am going again next week. I had read all the negatives before I went, but was able to leave all of that behind and just enjoy the music. I don't think the movie portrayed him as bi...……………...no, I'm going to stop myself right here. I don't want to get into some heated, ugly debate with anyone. There is so much political ugliness in my country right now that I have no desire to visit it in the escape I find with Freddie and Queen.
Before anyone decides to jump on me for this, save your typing fingers. I'm going to step out for a while.
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After reading a lot of reviews of the film and Thor’s just now , I really think Sacha Baron Cohen would have done a fantastic job had he been allowed to do his interpretation, the real version of how Freddie was . Maylor and Beach didn’t want this as they wouldn’t have been the main focus of attention , after all the tag line in the trailers was “His Story” , something along the lines of it anyway . Really hope he goes ahead and does his own version of the film
Sacha Baron Cohen was too old, too pale and too tall to play Freddie. Just because this movie is deeply flawed doesn't mean he would have done it better.
I almost agree, Darren_1977 but any actor, in this case, would be obligated to present this movie according to the producers, Brian May and Roger Taylor
and their vision of it. I thought Rami did an excellent job. I did, however, wish they had erased the natural bags under Rami's eyes throughout the movie
and not just during Live Aide portion. For me, that was the only segment where I thought Rami looked and moved almost exactly like Freddie. The body type
was perfect. I think Sasha Baron Cohen might have been too tall and lanky to make a convincing Freddie. However, he did not want to work on a supposed
DOCU-drama where there was not an accurate story behind the man who made the group what it was. True, the others are great musicians, but without
Freddie's drive, exuberance, quirkiness, and flamboyance, Queen might have been the Supergroup that they were.
Lee e-mailed me a long clip of Peter (Phoebe) Freestone being interviewed. He states clearly that this is not a documentary but a movie based on a
rock band. He states that a lot of the detail was real with props, outfits and the personality portrayal of Brian, Roger and John. With Freddie, although
he only started working with Freddie one year before I met them both in New York. Therefore he also excused himself from touching on the early years.
It was great to see Phoebe again, if only on tape. He had his characteristic smile and soft voice with a feeling of confidence.
Here it is: https://youtu.be/Qe21XyopB1I Just copy and paste it onto your browser.
and their vision of it. I thought Rami did an excellent job. I did, however, wish they had erased the natural bags under Rami's eyes throughout the movie
and not just during Live Aide portion. For me, that was the only segment where I thought Rami looked and moved almost exactly like Freddie. The body type
was perfect. I think Sasha Baron Cohen might have been too tall and lanky to make a convincing Freddie. However, he did not want to work on a supposed
DOCU-drama where there was not an accurate story behind the man who made the group what it was. True, the others are great musicians, but without
Freddie's drive, exuberance, quirkiness, and flamboyance, Queen might have been the Supergroup that they were.
Lee e-mailed me a long clip of Peter (Phoebe) Freestone being interviewed. He states clearly that this is not a documentary but a movie based on a
rock band. He states that a lot of the detail was real with props, outfits and the personality portrayal of Brian, Roger and John. With Freddie, although
he only started working with Freddie one year before I met them both in New York. Therefore he also excused himself from touching on the early years.
It was great to see Phoebe again, if only on tape. He had his characteristic smile and soft voice with a feeling of confidence.
Here it is: https://youtu.be/Qe21XyopB1I Just copy and paste it onto your browser.
Correction: "Queen might NOT have been the Supergroup that they were"
Agreed Oligneisty, thanks for that comment.
All right, I can't resist. If I am correct Roger and Brian are credited as music producers. Period. Phoebe was on the set every day and was so positive about what he was seeing, and he says that in Thor's link. The link is terrific. I heard it early on and agreed with him totally. He made the point several times that this was not a documentary and should be viewed only as entertainment. Of course I saw the errors and misrepresentations. I simply didn't dwell on them and allowed myself to be immersed in the entertainment. Many of my non-Queen friends have gone and loved the movie. They are now searching YouTube, etc to find out more about Freddie. They are asking me questions and I'm too happy to answer and share the whole Freddie with them. I haven't shut up since I saw the film on Monday and I'm going again next week. If this helps keep Queen and Freddie alive I'm happy.
Hi Thor,
Thank you so much for your review! I was really looking forward to reading it, and I am happy that it resonates with my own thoughts about Freddie's character. Since I have watched a number of his interviews, and thanks to the fact that you and Lee have given us an insight into his life and character, I have always pictured him as a happy and easygoing person, loving his friends, and always surrounded by people who genuinely loved him. And because of that, I completely disagreed with the vision we were given in the movie, I thought it was too one-sided, too simple, if I may say so.
Having said that, for me it was still a great experience. I loved Rami's acting, I thought he really did his best, and personally, I would rather have his vulnerable and gentle representation of Freddie than the way Baron Cohen wanted to depict him. I liked some mini-sequences (like the scene on a radio), and LOVED the Live Aid scene. It brought me to tears to realize that I could have never been there but yet in a way I was able to experience it.
Thank you so much for your review! I was really looking forward to reading it, and I am happy that it resonates with my own thoughts about Freddie's character. Since I have watched a number of his interviews, and thanks to the fact that you and Lee have given us an insight into his life and character, I have always pictured him as a happy and easygoing person, loving his friends, and always surrounded by people who genuinely loved him. And because of that, I completely disagreed with the vision we were given in the movie, I thought it was too one-sided, too simple, if I may say so.
Having said that, for me it was still a great experience. I loved Rami's acting, I thought he really did his best, and personally, I would rather have his vulnerable and gentle representation of Freddie than the way Baron Cohen wanted to depict him. I liked some mini-sequences (like the scene on a radio), and LOVED the Live Aid scene. It brought me to tears to realize that I could have never been there but yet in a way I was able to experience it.
Hello Katydyd,
Actually, I loved the movie too. My review may sound somewhat negative, but here is why: For over two years, I was preparing
myself for a documentary/drama as it had been advertised. In my mind, a drama does not have to be fictitious and a documentary
should never be. If I did not know Freddie, I would not have questioned anything about the movie and had accepted Freddie as
overwhelmingly talented, but like many superstars, moody and basically unhappy. With Phoebe stating that the movie was never
meant to be a documentary, I realized then, that I should be able to ease up on those expectations. Personally, I wanted to see the
happy, caring, loving side of Freddie that Lee and I had experienced clearly in the early '80s and found steady and consistent later-
on, even in the face of his AIDS diagnosis and failing body.
Actually, I loved the movie too. My review may sound somewhat negative, but here is why: For over two years, I was preparing
myself for a documentary/drama as it had been advertised. In my mind, a drama does not have to be fictitious and a documentary
should never be. If I did not know Freddie, I would not have questioned anything about the movie and had accepted Freddie as
overwhelmingly talented, but like many superstars, moody and basically unhappy. With Phoebe stating that the movie was never
meant to be a documentary, I realized then, that I should be able to ease up on those expectations. Personally, I wanted to see the
happy, caring, loving side of Freddie that Lee and I had experienced clearly in the early '80s and found steady and consistent later-
on, even in the face of his AIDS diagnosis and failing body.
By the way, Thor, have you seen a recent mini-documentary posted on YT? There is a moment when Peter shows a picture of you, Freddie and other guys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g05xtPMVCIs
I love that fact that the movie has attracted so much attention to Freddie and Queen
I love that fact that the movie has attracted so much attention to Freddie and Queen
Hi Catus,
Thank you so much, I'd never seen that clip before. That picture Phoebe shows is me, John Murphy and Freddie (plus someone I do not remember)
in the jacuzzi at the Hollywood mansion, he rented during the Michael Jackson collaboration. Unfortunately, as Phoebe points out, John was indeed,
the first friend (non-sexual) of his to succumb to AIDS after John left New York to live with his boyfriend.
Thank you so much, I'd never seen that clip before. That picture Phoebe shows is me, John Murphy and Freddie (plus someone I do not remember)
in the jacuzzi at the Hollywood mansion, he rented during the Michael Jackson collaboration. Unfortunately, as Phoebe points out, John was indeed,
the first friend (non-sexual) of his to succumb to AIDS after John left New York to live with his boyfriend.