Rocketman Review

Rocketman is a film directed by Dexter Fletcher. The trailers for the film impressed me and it felt like the film was not going to take the usual route. Coming out of the cinema after the film finished, I was happy and had a smile on my face.

Plot: The film traces the early years of British singer Elton John, his fame, sexual orientation and his downward spiral due to drug and alcohol abuse.

Story and direction: Now when you hear the basic one-line plot that I have written above, you will surely feel that this film has nothing new to offer. The same old tried and tested formula for any kind of biopic made these days. But what makes this film stand-out above the rest is the approach the makers have taken to make this film unique. Right from scene one where Elton enters with his flashy costume, you can feel the difference and the effort the makers have taken. As a result of this, I never felt bored in the film even for a single minute. The film gets entertaining and better with every minute of the runtime that passes by. The characters even are so relatable that you can understand why they make those choices. You are directly transported to that era. As I mentioned earlier about the “flashy” costumes, the costume and make-up department deserve an applause for making the film and the characters look so attractive and beautiful. The editing is crisp and water-tight. Also, like the way in some particular sequences that you feel that there is a long take which you kind of expect in action movies but not in biopics. I liked the way the makers didn’t play it safe and went all down and dirty (meaning the film being rated R). Although entertaining, this film does have a very similar premise to what biopics always usually follow.

Performances: Taron Egerton deserves all the praise he is getting. I seriously want him to get a nomination in award ceremonies for his performances. He doesn’t perform, but lives the life of Elton. I loved him before, but now I can say that I am his fan. Given the fact that Taron himself performed all of Elton’s songs in his own voice is praise-worthy. Jamie Bell is another one that deserves praise. He is just awesome. I liked the way they inserted certain grey shades into Richard Madden’s character. Bryce Dallas Howard was applause-worthy as Sheila Eileen. Stephen Graham and Charlie Rowe too did a fantastic job.

Songs and dance numbers: Seeing Bollywood movies, you kind of have a feeling of songs been inserted into films to express what the character is going through at the particular scene. Now this can become very tiresome and irritating in some movies. But that’s not the case here. The dance numbers are choreographed well and sit in sync with the scene. It added an extra nuance to Elton’s song. If I had to pick a favourite it will be “The Bitch is Back”. Additionally, the end credit song "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" was a treat.

Favourite Scene: There were so many great scenes out there. But if I had to pick one it would be where John decides to tune the “Your Song” and where everybody just stop all of their work to listen him sing and play the piano. This scene just won me over.

Verdict: My first exposure to Elton John was “Sacrifice” (if never heard, please do, Its Awesome.) But this film gives a depth into the illustrious yet troubled life of this celebrated rockstar. I was satisfied with what the film had to offer and surely this film should go down in history as one of the better biopics made (if not the best).

I am going with a 9/10,