Rocketman

Rocketman directed by Dexter Fletcher is an interpretation of Elton John's life told through his music. Fletcher may sound familiar as he completed the rest of Bohemian Rhapsody following the exit of its director. Rocketman is not a biopic, it is a musical biopic of the legacy of Elton John. The film starts out with John in an extravagant outfit heading to AA where he is asked about his childhood. This sets Elton as the storyteller with the whole film from his perspective. This perspective throws it off the course of being a biopic about a rock star and changes it to a story about a human who deals with his inner demons and has his own faults. From this point, the musical begins as Elton recalls his childhood and a younger self breaks out into "The Bitch is Back" as we travel back in time to his childhood. This musical opening sets the stage for the rest of the film and lets the audience become familiar with the outburst of musical performances mixed into the story. It sets the stage for the camp, extravagance that is Elton John. Throughout the childhood portion, the audience experiences Elton's lonely upbringing with his narcissist mother played by the incredible Bryce Dallas Howard and his cold, distant father. We experience how lonely he is in "I Want Love." Each song is carefully placed not in order of creation but how they represent each event in his life. Fletcher interprets each song in his placement to reflect that specific moment in life meaning that those songs were not written or based of those instances but align with the mood and tone of those major events in the film. Another important transition is when young Elton or Reggie sings "Saturday Night's Alright" that changes into an older Elton and showcases the ambitious coming of his career. Elton John's performance of "Crocodile Rock" marks the period of success and a downturn into a life of loneliness and luxuries for the icon. The crowd and John are both levitating adding camp and fantasy to the film. Each song perfectly matches up with the events they are performed during and they bring extra emotion onto the importance of each scene. The most heartbreaking moment of the film is when Elton dives into the pool to attempt suicide and performs the iconic "Rocketman" underwater. The scene is both enchanting with the cinematography and the underwater sequence while representing John literally sinking into loneliness and hitting rock bottom. The element of fantasy that is Elton John's persona is amplified throughout each musical performance. The musical sequences are more than a song/performance they are there to allow the audience to feel what Elton is feeling and interpret the moments of his life.


The acting in Rocketman is absolutely phenomenal. Each actor is fully immersed in the role they play and take on the personas. Taron Egerton was born to play the role of Elton John. Throughout the film, he embraces John from the wardrobe to music ability. Egerton takes on the ups and downs of John's life and plays them as naturally and heartfelt as if they occurred to him. Egerton has such depth and range and this film brilliantly showcases his acting ability and dedication to telling the story of a music legend, he is up for anything to accurately portray and celebrate the life of Elton John. One of the most important relationships in the film is the one between John and his songwriter Bernie Taupin. Jamie Bell is also brilliant and immerses himself in the role. The chemistry between the two is important as they have such a creative, deep relationship that leads to many successful hits through the unique lyrics and beautiful melodies of Elton John's songs. Even in the dark times, you can sense the care each one has for the other and the reliance they both have. Bell and Egerton nail the longtime relationship of Taupin and John. The scene where they first meet is so wholesome and is the start of a beautiful partnership full of groundbreaking music. It is evident that from the beginning Taupin understands the complexity of John and John is very appreciative that Taupin sees and accepts him for who he is. Lastly, Richard Madden as John Reid adds to the star power of the movie. He plays John's lover/manager. At the point where Elton and Reid meet, Reid allows Elton to be his true self as a gay man. Their sex scene is one of the most loving, passionate sex scene I have ever seen in a movie. It is an important part of the movie and shows Elton's acceptance of this side of himself. In the scene, you can see Elton opening himself up to be vulnerable as he believes he is being seen and loved for his true self for the first time. It is also important to note that this is the first large studio film to have a gay sex scene. When Reid's true colors appear it is heartbreaking and helps emphasize Elton's continuing battle of wanting to be loved by someone for who he is. He struggles with this as well as many things in the film. The fact that you hate Richard Madden's character by the end truly shows what a range he can play from being Robb Stark and Prince Charming to a cunning music manager.


Rocketman would not work if it was not rated R. Elton John is a producer of the film and he wanted the film to showcase both his good and bad times. Life is messy and the rating of this film allows the characters to act in a natural, gritty fashion without having to take out moments to make the film at a more acceptable. Fletcher does a great job at contrasting the extravagance of Elton with the clothing, big house, and personality but the themes of loneliness are strongly emphasized. Both of these themes should contradict as someone who is so expressive and has everything is still lonely and lost at the same time. Elton struggles with his identity throughout the film as he is still Reginald and has not entered the persona of Elton John even with the years of being this persona. He is still the shy boy. The scene at Dodger Stadium where Elton is in the bedazzled uniform exemplifies the extravagance and loneliness of the character. He is being the most but feeling completely broken and at a very low point. On the outside, he has everything and is on the tip of the world but inside he is facing his own demons and turmoil. This is relatable to journey humans take.
Rocketman is bold in both its style and color. Taron carries the film, and the story moves so naturally and smoothly. Fletcher's directing is done so carefully to get the message of the human journey across without it becoming overwhelmed with wardrobe and musical sequences. If you tear all of that away you can see it for what it is; a story about human life. This film gives us an insight into the life of Elton John on things we didn't know. It casts him in a different light where we can see him as a shy boy from England with a love of music. By the end, it is seen that Elton finally accepts himself as who he is and makes major life changes like sobriety. Elton John has been an important part of music for many years and has contributed so much through his songs. He has no shame being himself with his style and iconic glasses and leads the way for many people to follow their dreams and know it is normal to face turmoil or have demons. The negative side of humans is often not talked about in our struggles we go through and Rocketman gets the conversation going as it can happen to anyone and we can overcome them. It is also important to note that unlike many gay characters in Hollywood movies the main character of the film is gay and does not die at the end. I am excited to see this movie compete in awards season as it rightfully deserves it.