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Dexter Fletcher’s Rocketman is arguably the most accurate biopic about Elton John. This film was directed by Dexter Fletcher, written by Lee Hall, and produced by David Furnish, with the executive production done by John himself. The TV advertisement at Christmas by John Lewis is another thing that Rocketman had to contend with, as it told a similar story but in a much shorter time. In fact, there is one scene in which Elton gingerly plays a tune that could be considered as a reference to the advertisement. Amidst all of this, Rocketman has, in its own way, had to bear the burden of living up to Elton John’s unbelievably stunning songs. They are simply masterpieces, every single one of them, and tend to be accompanied with euphoric emotion. At the very least, they are the most stunning pieces of music meant to accompany the final montage of one’s life.
Rocketman is a crossbreed of a Broadway show and a biographical film, while also being a jukebox musical. At times, it seems like it could and perhaps should be shown on Broadway or the British West End. Some of the more powerful songs from his repertoire are performed live on stage while solely reminiscing brings tears to the eyes as his fingers touch the keys and the prototype for ‘Candle in the Wind’ is effortlessly muttered. It’s plausible to speculate whether Dy, the writer, was using the global pandemic as a source of artistic inspiration, and finally, using the songs as a part of a fantasy sequence danced there steered me into the world of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s imagination. The aspirations seemed so unachievable. There’s no dividing line between the dreams of a child and a fantasy of an adult.
Taron Egerton, who portrays Elton John, does a fine job recalling the British singer’s life. Something I noticed is that he prefers to showcase Elton’s more positive side, like how much he enjoys wearing tiaras as opposed to dealing with tantrums. And As a kid, Reg Dwight had his mom, an emotionally bottled father, and overbearing yet loving grandmother which cultivated unimaginable pain and rage while subdued within hope and creativity.
Then there’s the enchanting encounter with the lyricist Bernie Taupin, played by Jamie Bell, the gruff ad-man with no taste but who is smart enough to be a promoter, Dick James, portrayed by Stephen Graham, who invented the old grey whistle test to determine the value of a tune, and lastly, John Reid, the exceptionally dashing Richard Madden, who plays the part of his manager and lover and with whom there is a violent romantic break-up. Dick’s character enables the audience to glide during the glory period of the 70s when the record sales skyrocketed, heavy drugs and alcohol were consumed, the Elton John bought Watford FC, his straight marriage that was a big mistake, leading up to rehab and his 12 step meetings which were compiled together in a beautiful sophisticated flashback.
Disconcertingly, the movie ends without showing his meeting with the significant other, David Furnish, there is no mention of Diana or his mother’s legendary 90th birthday where she hired an impersonator to come to her party because she didn’t want to talk to them.
Egerton surely looks the part and pulls off the costumes, the sequinned baseball outfits and jaunty bowlers, but I felt that he never quite manages John’s woundedness when those whom he cherished the most betrayed him; he did not quite perform the lower-lip-trembling humiliation and hurt which fed into the rage and the fear. I started wondering how Bell would have roughly fit into the casting.
Well, this Rocketman is similar to the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody in a dozen different aspects, although these are arguably fundamental music-biopic standards, the poor childhood, the manager, the record studio scene, the first encounter with drugs and the montage as the first hit climbs up the charts. Yet, Rocketman is straightforward when it comes to John’s identity as a gay man.
I wouldn’t have considered this a straightwashing incident: perhaps more of a case of hedonism denial. Elton, in person, is seen confidently stating that he loved every second of his life, but the movie cannot help but wiggle its head in disapproval at the wild scenes of his life which ultimately lead to the aforementioned gesture of attempted suicide. And of course, while Elton’ s excesses and bouts of self destruction were perilous, at the same time, they formed an integral part of what made him exceptional.
In this case, there is no central love story. Even though Bernie Taupin is quintessential in Elton’s life and art, he is not very active in the action. It is also not easy for one to take Reid seriously as a supposed lost love or a bad character who hurts Elton. Hall’s dialogues are robust, but he does go a little overboard and make certain that we understand what we are supposed to feel and think. It is almost too formulaic – but, once more, it may do better on stage.
It was much appreciated that the movie did a quite decent work in putting through the meaning of the song: that of the rocket pilot who is lonely and afraid, whose job of space traveling is downright mundane to him. Rocketman is a very real and emotional celebration of the work and public persona of Elton John who, however, actually baffled.
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