Rockstar biopics tend to follow the same familiar notes. They begin with the artists’ humble beginnings, follow their ascent to fame and fortune and then chart the trajectory of their self-destructive downward spiral before the redemption arc kicks in. Even if you don’t consider yourself a big fan of Sir Elton John, Rocketman is a vibrant and entertaining journey.
No amount of money or production value would have mattered if Taron Egerton couldn’t pull this off. We had seen his versatility in projects like Eddie the Eagle and Legend but stepping into these gold and winged shoes was a whole different story. Comparisons to Rami Malek’s portrayal of Freddy Mercury are unavoidable but that was a transformative embodiment while Egerton’s was more of an homage. In the context of this film, the Kingsman star managed to make the character his own…all the way down to singing the entire soundtrack himself. Hardcore fans may nitpick the performance but keep in mind, Elton John was an executive producer and was right there to inform and encourage Egerton’s choices. This isn’t a career-making role but it’s certainly a career-defining one which could find him in the conversation for Best Actor, depending on how the rest of the year shapes up.
Dexter Fletcher was a producer on Bohemian Rhapsody which could explain why he chose to take a more determined approach in directing this film. It’s a much more emotionally driven project and, even behind all the spectacle, it felt much heavier. In terms of big studio projects, this was easily one of the more imaginative and ambitious narrative approaches I’ve seen in a while and part of that was likely necessity. In many ways, it was all things Bo Rhap probably should have been. At the very least, the filmmakers were keenly aware of the pitfalls and criticisms of Freddy Mercury’s biopic so they decided to take a different approach. I would think Fletcher has to be on the list of contenders for Best Director at this point for the way he was able to blend all the musical, emotional, and theatrical visual elements into one cohesive vision.
Obviously, the music was a crucial (maybe the most crucial) element in telling Elton John’s story and it’s beautifully woven into the fabric of this film. Categorically, this is absolutely a “musical”. In total, I counted 41 songs in the closing credits all of which serve as individual pieces of a larger portrait and the script by Lee Hall really contextualized the lyrics in a meaningful way. Beyond the music, George Richmond’s production design was wonderfully colorful and flamboyant which brought the story to life without overpowering the emotional cues which were already in play. Fashion was always a large part of the persona, so Julian Day must have had an amazing time designing the wildly extravagant costumes. While it’s self-described as being “based on a true fantasy”, it’s a very psychedelic experience in many ways and, since the primary plot mechanism focuses on Sir Elton’s substance abuse, it’s fittingly synergistic.
Across the board, there were strong supporting performances that helped shape this story. They belonged primarily to Jamie Bell, who played Elton’s songwriting partner Bernie, Richard Madden, who played his lover/manager John Reid, Steven Mackintosh, who played his father, and Bryce Dallas Howard, who played his mother Sheila. These four roles were impactful because each one of them tackled some aspect of John’s personality and, at least on film, had the largest impact on his life, both as a young boy and as an adult. I’m not sure any of these are Best Supporting Actor/Actress quality but if “Best Supporting Cast” was a category, this one would be near the top of the list.
Box office receipts and aggregate scores don’t tell the whole story but do provide a general snapshot analysis of a film’s footprint in the market. Despite carrying a comparable IMDB score to Bo Rhap, along with higher Rotten Tomatoes’ critics and audience ratings, the appetite for Rocketman just isn’t the same. That’s likely due to Queen’s musical reach globally in comparison to Elton’s but there have also been a lot of musicals lately and audiences may be pulling back, plus there’s the R-rating. A $25-million domestic opening really isn’t too bad going up against both Godzilla and Aladdin and it made its money back globally, so that’s a win. One way or the other, at this point in the year, it’s one of the better films of 2019.
Recommendation: Elton John fans have to see this and even if you’re only partly familiar with his music, this is a good time. If you don’t know the man or the music, this is a good entry point to both.