Rocketman

[orioles70]

we had a thread about Bohemian Rhapsody, so why not one about Rocketman?

but early reviews indicate this movie may not do anywhere close to as well as B-R did

here's an excerpt from a NY Times article about it

< Multiple movie studios passed on the opportunity to make “Rocketman,” an R-rated musical fantasia about Elton John’s hedonistic breakthrough years. Too gay. Too expensive. Too reliant on an unproven star.
But one film company, the down-on-its-luck Paramount Pictures, saw the audacious project as a chance to prove something to both Hollywood and Wall Street — namely that, to borrow a reference from Sir Elton, it’s still standing.

Now comes the moment of truth.
“Rocketman” will arrive in theaters on May 31 as perhaps the most ambitious movie of Hollywood’s summer season, a four-month period that typically accounts for 40 percent of annual ticket sales and relies overwhelmingly on franchises. Starring Taron Egerton and costing an estimated $120 million to make and market worldwide, “Rocketman” trails glitter — a million Swarovski crystals adorn the costumes and eyewear — and depicts gay sex, a first for a major studio. Mr. Egerton, 29, known for the “Kingsman” action comedies, did all of his own singing, reinterpreting classics like “The Bitch Is Back.” There is intricate choreography (one stylized scene finds an entire London neighborhood dancing in formation) and an orgy musical number set to “Bennie and the Jets.” >

not exactly a ringing endorsement

[unomusette]

It's been hawked all over the media in the last week and I think it has a premiere in London tonight - I've enjoyed Taron Egerton in Kingsmen and the Eddie the Eagle film so hopefully he has a knack for choosing a good project

[vlogdance]

Went to see Rocketman last Sunday. I enjoyed it, tho' the story is a bit grimmer than Bohemian Rhapsody was. 

Both Taron Egerton and Jamie Bell are excellent in their roles as Elton and Bernie (Taupin). And the fantasy sequences are very well staged. 

No spoilers, but perhaps my favourite bit was when young Reggie Dwight, aged around 14, goes to the local pub one evening with his family, and is invited to play a few songs on the piano. He starts off with a classical piece, but when someone shouts "Rubbish" he stops playing, mortified.
Reggie's Nan encourages him with: "Play the one I like, Reggie."
Whereupon Reggie promptly launches into... "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting"! 

[Timeblue]

I'm not his biggest fan,I find him a bit of a prima donna and full of himself. Mrs T wants us to see the film so I'll probably go this weekend...

[Helmut83]

Jun 4, 2019 22:35:25 GMT Timeblue said:

I'm not his biggest fan,I find him a bit of a prima donna and full of himself. Mrs T wants us to see the film so I'll probably go this weekend...

Timeblue, what I do in order to be able to enjoy more is trying to separate the person from the music. If you come to think about it, a very high proportion of musicians were and/or are dicks and/or behave like imbeciles, prima donnas and others. Bad attitudes should be acknowledged and pointed out, and when bad attitudes repeat themselves in time what should be acknowledge and pointed out is the fact that that person is an idiot or whatever other adjective suits him better. But luckily when you press "play" their personality doesn't come out through the speakers, so it's just their music which you can enjoy without meaning that you are condescending with the bad attitudes of the dickhead who wrote it and/or sung it.

As for Elton John, I feel like you, that he's full of himself and a prima donna -although not even remotely close to the worst cases music has to offer-. Coincidentally -but not because of that-, I'm not a big fan of his music either, even when I recognize he has talent.

[vlogdance]

True, Elton can be a bit of a prima donna - perhaps not surprising, after the lifestyle he's lived for so many years. But he does have a sense of humour.

Back in the '80s, the British newspaper The Sun printed some pretty nasty allegations about him. These stories turned out to be completely false. Elton sued The Sun for libel, and won his court case. 

Later, on a TV chat show, the host asked him about this episode. Elton said: "You can call me a fat, balding, talentless old queen who can't sing, but you can't tell lies about me."

[Helmut83]

Well, he's certainly right about that. No one should be able to spread lies publicly about anyone (and if you asked me, some truths concerning intimacy shouldn't be told either, but that might be asking for too much).

[Timeblue]

We are talking about the sun here, biggest pile of crap ever printed and run by lying moral-less tw*ts....

[vlogdance]

Jun 5, 2019 18:40:25 GMT Timeblue said:

We are talking about the sun here, biggest pile of crap ever printed and run by lying moral-less tw*ts....

Probably pretty much what Elton said, although he didn't tell any lies about them...

[Chippa]

Overall, it's getting better reviews than Bohemian Rhapsody, but not performing as well at the box office. I'll reserve judgement until I see the film.

[BSJ]

This film just might force me go to the theater. It's been years.

[tremblinwilbury]

Hmm...

I resisted seeing Bohemian Rhapsody because I was nervous about how Freddie's condition would be dealt with. In the end, I'm really glad I saw it in the cinema. Big and loud, that's how it should be seen. Like Freddie himself

Rocketman... I don't know. I wasn't a fan during Elton's heyday. He is a decent singer and songwriter though. Haven't made my mind up. Yet.

[queenofthehours]

I really would like to see Rocketman as the song and dance routines look like fun and the movie would give you a good idea of how BoRhap might have looked had Dexter Fletcher been able to direct the whole thing. However, I'm not sure it has the charm of BoRhap or at least enough to get me to the cinema. Maybe its the idea of mixing Elton's "serious issues" into a musical that doesn't sit right with me. I like my fun films without overriding hard edges.

I'm not a great Elton fan but I love a lot of his songs and don't object at all to an Elton musical (maybe a Mamma Mia style film would have worked better?) but what I do object to is how critics are using Rocketman and BoRhap against each other. Why can't it be seen as the delightful coincidence it is that they are released so close together? And if people want to make comparisons why can't they be positive and constructive rather than negative? I'm just happy that there's so many rock movies around currently. Taron Egerton is getting a lot of well-deserved praise for his singing but, in some of the articles I've read, this is at the expense of Rami Malek. Ok so Rami might have mimed a few songs but who can sing like Mr Mercury? One might learn to sing like Elton but never Freddie. And who can dance like Freddie? Rami did an excellent job, Elton isn't known for his footwork.

Rocketman and BoRhap are quite different movies. Critics should stop comparing them and saying Elton's movie is better because it looks at the hard issues Elton faced in a more open way than BoRhap did with Freddie. They are forgetting that Elton is alive and has had the opportunity to present himself how he wishes in the film. Freddie is not alive and cannot dictate how much personal detail should be put in or left out of his movie. Because Fred's not here all that can be done is to respect him and so be cautious over what is shown. Elton was very involved in his movie but Brian and Roger were only there to keep an eye on the music - they had nothing to do with the BoRhap script unless they really had to mention something.

Also, I've seen a few items in the newspapers where it's been said Rocketman isn't too strict on facts. Fair enough - no biopic movie ever is, it isn't a documentary - so why do the same critics who overlook this in Rocketman complain about the same thing in BoRhap? Is it because they are annoyed BoRhap didn't go too deep with the "awkward issues"? Brian May himself said he wanted to make a family film. Had BoRhap been a bare-all kind of picture instead of the uplifting tale it was it certainly wouldn't have made the millions it has. Will Rocketman do as well? It's not wrong that the critics love it but I wish they would now admit that they were wrong about BoRhap, all those millions of people who saw it can't be wrong. Rocketman and BoRhap fit together in many ways but they are also miles apart. They both suit the same audience but also different audiences I think.

I heard this from the Rocketman soundtrack on the radio and I love it. Whatever faults we might find in the film it's certainly a joy to hear the actor and the real man singing together -

[tightrope]

I love the guys music but he's not the kind of guy I'd want to have a beer with.

[Timeblue]

We went to see the film tonight AND.................................................................






I found it a bit 'meh' if I'm honest. To me it was a bit too gloomy and sad and focused mainly on his demons and troubles rather than the overblown stage shows that we know he loved to do. It was filmed as a musical rather than a straight biopic and I for one didn't like it like that,I would have preferred it to have been similar in style to Bohemian Rhapsody. Again like BR some of the facts were wrong or misplaced (such as writing I'm Still Standing AFTER rehab) The marriage to Renate was only briefly touched upon too, so for me this was a disappointment after BR. 5/10