Rocketman (2019) stars Taron Egerton as Elton John in the biopic of the singer’s life. It is directed by Dexter Fletcher, who famously stepped in for Brian Singer to finish directing last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody, a film that is sure to draw comparisons to this one. It this the next crowd-pleaser that could crack the Oscars?
I’m not quite as familiar with Elton John’s body of work as I am with Queen’s. I can name maybe four or five of his songs and vaguely recognized a few other tunes that played during the film. That means that I’m not exactly the target audience for this film, so take anything I say with a grain of salt. If you’re a massive Elton John fan you’ll probably adore this movie no matter what I say about it. But perhaps not being a massive fan can be a benefit as well, since I was able to weigh the film’s merits accurately without prior knowledge and affection towards the subject clouding my judgment. And yeah, this movie isn’t perfect, but it’s still a damn good time and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
My biggest gripe with Bohemian Rhapsody was that it lacked creative vision. Since there was no director overseeing the editing process, it just felt like a series of scenes barely connected together until it was deemed good enough to release to the public. Rocketman, on the other hand, has a very clear guiding hand in Dexter Fletcher, who guides us through this journey every step of the way and never lets things stray out of control. Everything has purpose; every scene, every shot is carefully-planned and didn’t feel slapped together before moving onto the next. Fletcher has a real vision that comes to life on-screen, and while the structure of this film may be predictable and bland, the style is far from it.
I love that the film does not take itself too seriously as a drama. From the opening scene we know that this is no ordinary biopic; characters will burst into song at a moment’s notice, and rooms full of strangers will break out into choreographed dance as Elton belts another of his classic tunes. The film is not afraid to break the boundaries of a moment, with outlandish special effects and supernatural happenings to match the magical tone. I hate to keep comparing the film to Bohemian Rhapsody, but that film felt rather soulless and dull, having to shoehorn in excuses to play another Queen hit. Rocketman has no such issue; it can just break into song whenever it wants because it has established from the outset that anything goes.
And what a wonderful way to celebrate a character like Elton! His life was most certainly not PG-13 and inside-the-box; he indulged in just about every vice known to man, and we get to see most of it play out on-screen. What good is a movie about sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll if we don’t get to see the sex and drugs? He lived his life lavishly (still does, in fact) and we get to indulge in the fun and games alongside him. The film is barely rated R and I could have even conceived of a PG-13 version of the film with fewer “fucks” and more insinuation than graphic depiction of sex and drugs, but I’m glad the studio allowed the filmmakers to truly examine every aspect of his personal life. Maybe that hurts the film’s box office returns overall, but it absolutely helps its quality and accuracy. And that’s funny to say for a film that frequently bends the truth to make for a better story, but it feels much less disingenuous by letting us see everything instead of a sanitized version.
But along with the excess of fame and fortune comes a price, as the film does still have a serious dramatic side. It digs deep into Elton’s various strained relationships, with his mother, his father, his lover-turned-manager, and his writing partner. There is a clear arc to Elton’s character, from his humble beginnings, to his descent into the world of drugs and excess, to his alienation of his loved ones with his hard-and-fast living. The pacing is quite well-done, framing his story within the context of his stay in rehab, where he transitions from denial to anger and eventual acceptance of his faults. My only real complaint is that his Act III turn into a more sympathetic, considerate person comes almost too quickly and without proper buildup. It’s great that he got help for himself and turned his life around before he undoubtedly would have killed himself, but I wish there was more substance (no pun intended) behind his decision to make a change.
Similarly, the story structure, as glammed-up and fun-loving as it is, follows similar beats that we’ve seen many times before in such films. The rehab conceit, as effective as it is as a framing device, is one we’ve come to expect, and it brought us nothing knew. Once we establish Elton’s initial relationships with the principal characters it becomes obvious where the plot is going from there. You have the usual explosion of stardom, the gradual development of egotism, the alienation from his loved ones, the spiral into depression, and the eventual realization that he needs to rediscover his passion for music and life alike. Certain characters feel like caricatures, from the hard-nosed record executive to the manipulative manager to the distant and standoffish father. Yeah, the film fills in the details with Elton’s unique life, but it still feels archetypal at basically every turn.
Luckily, the film is just so damn fun that it doesn’t really matter. Fletcher stuffs the film full of fun moments and eye-popping imagery so that we are never bored even in the slow moments. The film really pays homage to the music, at times allowing the film’s plot to take a backseat while the audience is given moments to sing and dance along. I especially liked the way it integrated Elton’s songs into the plot, with each playing a particular emotional role in certain key moments. It isn’t perfect since it doesn’t strictly adhere to the timeline of song releases, and Elton didn’t even compose many of the lyrics that are used liberally to reflect his inner thoughts. But it still works! And the craftsmanship of the film is just flawless; there will be no cries of foul play for this film winning technical awards because it looks and sounds great at every turn.
And it absolutely must be said: this film works entirely because of Taron Egerton’s extraordinary performance. He truly embodies the character of Elton in all his forms, from his flamboyant stage presence to his reclusive personality and mercurial temper. And again, hate to compare, but unlike Rami Malek he actually sings his own songs! I never for a second believed that I was watching an actor…he really became Elton John and carried the film on his shoulders. He has been a rising star for a while now and absolutely deserves major accolades for this role if there is justice in the world. I don’t know if I’m thrilled about the prospect of every Oscar winner being from a biopic about a flamboyant stage performer, but I’m totally okay with this one.
Conclusion
A raucous good time and a fitting tribute to the life of a beloved figure that doesn’t sanitize the facts or hide from his flaws. It follows predictable story beats and never really surprised me, but it knows how to give the audience a good time and has stellar craftsmanship to boot. Even as someone who knew almost nothing about the man going in I found myself bopping my head along to the music and enjoying every minute of the experience. I can only imagine what the hard-core fans will think of the film, because this one’s for you!
VERDICT: A-
All image rights belong to Paramount Pictures.
-Austin Daniel
Scriptophile 