For Millennials. By Millennials.
After a Prime Time Emmy, the maestro Rami Malek has his eyes set on the Academy Award. In Bohemian Rhapsody, Malek plays the titular character of Queen’s lead vocalist, Freddy Mercury, and his performance has already become a subject for mass public applause. After doing wonders as the hoodie-clad sociopath in Mr. Robot, Malek via a drastically departed performance gives a fascinating glimpse of his versatility.
The Queen frontman, who would preen onstage with a conceited gait, is played to perfection by Rami Malek.
Rami Malek’s Performance was Loved!
Malek’s performance has given a downpour of serious raves. There is good news, and there is considerably fine news. But, whatever the case is in the movie, one thing remains consistent and that its Malek has accounted for himself a glorified Wikipedia entry. While the biographical piece is largely mediocre to stand on its own, Malek has imbued such fine strength and brilliance through his theatrical performance that simply lifts up the movie’s standard manifold.
Malek mastered Mercury’s spontaneous motion and that too with utter sublimity. Malek focused on the finest details of Mercury’s physicality. His efforts and research could be traced in his flawlessness. He had the rigidity of a boxer and a refined speech that Mercury possessed due to his overbite. Glancing at Malek, one could not simply identify Malek as the guy in Mr. Robot, for there he was inconsistently physically retired. There was an enigmatic, energetic blaze to Mercury’s swiftness, and the credit for that inarguably goes to Malek. Malek traced down Mercury’s childhood as an immigrant in India, bringing the kind of volatility that comes around when one is deprived of a smooth childhood. Malek’s eruption on stage and his outlet of emotions, all rendered a nostalgic essence.
Brilliant Lip Syncing
Obviously, Malek does not do his own singing. But the lip synchrony is incredible. Not for a single instance do we feel that there is some gap between the playing of the soundtrack and Malek’s articulation. Mercury had his own signature theatrical style when he was on stage, and this is something Malek has captured with visible grace. He would ski across the stage, gesturing his mike in an animated fashion, and dance along with his tunes. For anyone who has been a spectator in a real Mercury concert, Malek reminded them of Mercury with basically every gesture.
They Nailed the Physical Appearance
Malek’s look as Mercury was simply amazing. From the cultivated mustache to the pop silver tight suit, he nailed all the looks. Malek captured Mercury’s emotional psyche with great audacity. When the press questions Mercury over his controversial life, Malek turns in a reaction that makes it hard to distinguish between reality and performance. The Live Aid performance is played in the film as a mini-concert, quite similar to what is like in 1985. And, this proved to be a great gamble for the movie. Producer Graham King’s discretion in rearing a character that is so close to its real counterpart also played a significant catalyst in making Mercury out of Malek.
Rami Malek up for Oscar?
If the idea was to firmly plant Malek as a top contender in the Oscar best actor race, then the mission has been accomplished. If anyone, then we can compare this masterful performance to Jamie Foxx’s Ray Charles back in 2004. Never has Hollywood, in recent times, ever seen a like performance of grand scale pitched against a highly regular non-fiction piece. When we compare A Star is born with Bohemian Rhapsody, the comparison does not do the latter any favors. Yet Malek remains our horse to bet on in the race of Academy’s Best Actor. Malek was arousing emotional champion, and for his part, he is surely going places.