Rocketman (2019)

Review

121min

Genre:       Fact-based, Drama, Music, Musical

Director:    Dexter Fletcher

Cast:         Taron Egerton, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jamie Bell…and more

Writers:     Lee Hall

-Synopsis-

A semi-fantastical chronicle of Elton John’s breakthrough years and his transformation from shy suburban London kid to global show-stopping superstar—seen through the prism of his relationships writing partner Bernie Taupin and manager John Reid, plus the toll exacted on him and his family by the excesses of rock superstardom . . . and the painful search for self-realisation and true love.

It’s a rare occasion when someone dares to bring the unexpected to the music biopic, an often stale sub-genre which still manages to capture the imagination of audiences and award shows. Yet armed with the flamboyant spirit and full blessing of their still very much alive and vibrant subject, veteran British actor-turned-director Dexter Fletcher teams up with screenwriter Lee Hall (Billy Elliot, War Horse) and takes his recent experience of helping to bring another British music legend to the screen in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, but throws the rule book out the window—delivering a hybrid and daring, toe-tapping biographical drama which moves and entertains in equal measure, and lives longer in the memory than we expected.

Taron Egerton stars as shy young Pinner musical prodigy Reginald Kenneth Dwight—struggling with growing up in a household of little affection in the 50s and 60s alongside his inattentive mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard) and absent father Stanley (Steven Mackintosh)—who starts a fledgling career as a soul musician, only to be transformed into rock superstar Elton John when his collaboration with musical soulmate and writing partner Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) begins to bear fruit, as they cross the pond in the early 70s. But like a man once said, mo money mo problems, and as his star rises so do his excesses, as a fractured relationship with his icy manager and lover John Reid (Richard Madden) breaks down, and he fills the void of true love and forced closeted sexuality with booze and drugs, only to prove why he’s one of pop’s greatest ever survivors in the end.

Whether it proves to be a blueprint for Elton John ‘The Musical’, or indeed renders that idea redundant, there’s no denying the film’s showtune credentials, taking a leaf out of the book of West End shows like ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Thriller’ by using an iconic songbook to weave together a narrative . . . which just so happens to be about the artist himself. But this unconventional biopic does more than lean on the music of a beloved legend to connect to the audience—although it don’t half make for some glorious and dreamlike, all-singing all-dancing numbers—instead it combines it with a poignant, vibrant and surprising story you can’t keep your eyes and ears off of.

‘Rocketman’ really is a breath of fresh air for the ubiquitous music biopic, daring to go places where more traditional reverential accounts of beloved deceased stars just can’t, or won’t. Not only does it address Elton John’s sexuality, but it positions it at the heart of the movie, and earns its credentials as an LGBT film with moments of flashy homoeroticism rarely seen in mainstream cinema.

It’s also a hell of a show of course, featuring some flashy and creative musical sequences pulled straight out of musical theatre, but which also help to advance the narrative, wonderfully re-creating of man’s iconic over-the-top stage attire while taking full advantage of his immense catalogue of hits, creating a dazzling visual and audial experience colourfully captured by cinematographer George Richmond (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Eddie the Eagle). Perhaps the most stylistically impressive elements of the film though are director Fletcher’s wonderfully creative transitions between moments of poignancy, binges of excess and pain, and Elton John’s legendary sequined showmanship.

Yet for all the glitz and glamour of the piece, it also manages to be an unexpectedly poignant and frank affair. Mixing the sad with the exultant in a warts-and-all tale of excess, loneliness and looking for love in all the wrong places, while not shying away from his deep substance addiction and character flaws. But it’s also a story of friendship and brotherhood, while at times unexpectedly funny and often charming—and all in keeping with its subject’s famous bluntness and honesty.

‘Rocketman’ also dedicates time to Elton John’s formative experiences as a child, with young Matthew Illesley and Kit Connor shining as two versions of the young Reggie Dwight, exposing a strained family dynamic which lacked much love and affection. While the film is not really concerned with chronology or historical accuracy, it does unfold fairly linearly, apart from an overarching narration set-up as a confessional/rehab—from which it jumps back and forth—where Elton directly addresses the personal shortcomings and demons which haunted him through his meteoric rise, but also shaped the man he would become.

Indeed ‘Rocketman’ is at times framed like a realist daydream and takes all the artistic licence it wants, not only in terms of events and their chronology but also in its characterisation of real people. And while some of Reg Dwight’s family might have a gripe or two about their depiction, no one will feel more aggrieved than his long-time manager and part-time lover John Reid, who is almost the villain of the piece. And if the Scottish former music mogul wasn’t happy with his portrayal in last year’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, God knows what he’ll make of this one.

Yet ultimately there’s one principal thing which makes ‘Rocketman’ a triumph—Taron Egerton. The young Brit had already established himself as a charismatic, marketable film star long before this film, and had given us an indication of his singing chops. But this aptly named movie takes him into the stratosphere, as he delivers a sometimes nuanced sometimes mesmerising, all-singing all-dancing tour-de-force that’s equal parts tragic and triumphant—and for our money is more impressive than the performance which won Rami Malek an Oscar for his own depiction of a British music legend earlier this year . . . in a film which excites us more, and leaves a longer lasting impression.

The Bottom Line…

A vibrant and mesmerising but unexpectedly poignant and very human tale of success and excess, ‘Rocketman’ lifts off and never comes down, while proving much more than a visual songbook. Relying on a daring structure and a central tour-de-force to deliver an unconventional, dreamlike hybrid music biopic—pulling no punches and memorably showcasing the rise of a rock and roll great . . . and one of pop’s greatest survivors.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

In rockin’ early 70s London, a prodigiously talented young immigrant and aspiring musician teams up with two of his fellow musicians/students and an unassuming bassist to form a wholly unique band, embarking on a whirlwind life and career which would change the face of popular music and create musical icons—culminating in a titanic 80s charity concert . . . and the performance which would cement their musical legend.

Directed by Bryan Singer and starring Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton and Gwilym Lee among others.

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