ROCKETMAN

 

ROCKETMAN 

B+

I felt somewhat ashamed as I watched this film.  I've been a huge fan of Elton John's music my entire life. I can remember going down the road listening to cassette tapes of Elton John back when my parents were still married. They've been divorced since 1991.  I don't know all of John's songs but I can name more songs by him than I can any other artist or band. 

I knew a little about him. I knew of  Bernie Taupin.  Of how the two friends had a working partnership throughout their song writing different than that of any I've ever read or heard of since.  I knew he was from England. I knew a few other little facts about him.

Yet a majority of the "facts" depicted about John throughout the film, I was unaware of. Hence the " " and why an otherwise A film is given a rating of B+.  In my opinion while it's ok to omit certain facts or embellish the truth, the one thing you don't do in a biopic is outright fabricate. I didn't take the time to do a side by side comparison of everything stated in this film, but I did enough to know that a few of the things they said about John in the film were inaccurate.  It makes me wonder what all was truth and what was fiction.  I feel that it serves as an injustice to the person as well as to the person who wants to learn about him, if false information is given. 

Moving on....

The performances in this film were very well done. Taron Egerton was an excellent cast for Elton John.  He captured him in his essence, demeanor and pose. I appreciated how he became him.   

What I appreciated most about the film was how the music and songs were interwoven into the scenes with expert timing and precision. They fit the narrative and came in at the exact right moments.  So many times in musicals, and I certainly felt this way in BOHEMIAN RAPSODY, songs are thrown in at random because "Hey, it's a musical!".  Yet in ROCKETMAN they all all fit.  It was done well.  Other musicals could stand to watch this film to see the proper way in which it should be done.