Rocketman (2019) (Review)


Rocketman launches into theatres in the shadow of the behemoth that was the critically-derived but audience-embraced Bohemian Rhapsody. But while both follow flamboyant musicians changing the music industry in the 60s and 70s and are at least partially directed by Dexter Fletcher, they could not be more different in approach. This Elton John musical - unlike the straightwashed, straight-up Freddie Mercury biopic drama - neglects to play it safe, is fantastical in approach and exposes the warts-and-all lifestyle of its singing and performing superstar. 

Rocketman surveys Elton John's, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, life, career and music, exploring his childhood, relationship with those around him, education at the Royal Academy of Music, career rise and his stint in rehab that followed as a result of alcohol, substance and sex addiction. The title lends itself from Elton's 1972 single, one of many popular records covered in the film with live vocals from the leading man, Taron Egerton, who stars alongside Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard. It's so easy to imagine Rocketman falling to pieces, yet - often through sheer force of will - it's a rather solid, if flawed, piece of entertainment.

For Rocketman to work, it needed confidence in its vision. Thankfully, director Dexter Fletcher's self-assured approach ensures that Rocketman's spirited fantasy lifts off. Through sheer force of will at times, this genre-bending effort combines the music we know and love in indulgent, extravagant set pieces, hitting shuffle on the jukebox of Elton's discography and using the music to fit the mood, reflective of its non-linear structure. Impressive in its costume and production design, heightening the augmented fantasy-musical elements of the piece, it razzles and dazzles visually. Adult-skewing and less desperate to play it mainstream than certain other titles, Fletcher exhibits as much as possible in this mainstream effort and their willingness to push LGBT representation gives this Hollywood production a real personality.

Lee Hall's screenplay is an interesting piece. Framed around a therapy session in rehab, the device allows the filmmakers to explore Elton's experiences with more depth, an opportunity to be more reflective and meditative than initially expected. It's not always convincing in its use - jarring as we flit back-and-forth before these sombre, confessional moments and fantastical musical numbers - but it does open up a plethora of avenues that a straighter approach simply would not provide.  There is some lovely thematic resonance of accepting yourself and working towards being a better person and while we are certainly not on the most inventive thematic ground, it is well handled and stirring nevertheless.

Taron Egerton more than comfortably fits into the music man's shoes, offering more than a glorified or imitative starry caricature. From beginning to end, you get a real sense that Egerton has delved deeper than the surface level to inform his depiction: the most interesting area is the space between Elton The Performer and Reginald The Shy Boy, exploring the introverted-extrovert persona leading such a showman's existence. Egerton's defining moment comes during a profound speech about his (in)ability to find love towards the end, in a scene stripped of the spectacle the film has otherwise surrounded him with: it is an emotionally powerful and moving moment that pulls the screenplay's thematic work into focus, beautifully sold by Egerton. And while he may not be the strongest singer, Egerton can certainly hold a tune and possesses a real charm, perfectly suited to the Tiny Dancer singer.

Richard Madden and Jamie Bell are solid in their supporting roles: strongest during their dramatic work, they both present two very different relationships that influenced Elton's career, with these dynamite dynamics fascinating to watch unfold. While Bell's accent can be off-putting at times (to say nothing of Bryce Dallas Howard's wobbly attempt), their voices are surprisingly solid and any issues in the technicalities can't hold back these emotionally-charged turns. Of Dallas Howard, the aching portrayal of his mother provides it with real sensitivity, and while she makes some strange decisions and the script doesn't quite develop her enough, it effectively communicates that strained mother-son relationship.

Although Rocketman is a consistently entertaining piece of filmmaking, it's far from perfect. It jolts between fantasy and reality without a moments notice, resulting in a rather unsettled film that never quite comes together as more than a sum of its parts. Furthermore, while the set pieces are enjoyable, there is no standout song or sequence. With no defining musical moment, it zips around in an almost weightless manner; that breeziness is fine but the film clocks in at 121 minutes - and it feels it, with no clear acts and uneven use of its framing device. These stumbles prevent it from truly soaring.

It's refreshing when a film on this scale is ambitious in its intentions and Rocketman's musical-meets-fantasy hybrid takes bold risks while still keeping Elton, it's beating heart, and Taron Egerton, the man who brings him to life, at the forefront of all the razzle and dazzle. It doesn't always work, with its tone unsettled throughout -- but its honesty and refusal to dilute aspects of the musician's life result in an indulgent, confidence and camp extravaganza speared well by director Dexter Fletcher. With impressive costume and production design, Rocketman is a flamboyant, enjoyable musical-fantasy. I think it's going to be a long, long time until people forget this one.

7/10

Summary: Rocketman aims for the sky and even when it falls a little short, its musical-fantasy hybrid, committed star turn from Taron Egerton and confident direction makes this tribute to Elton John a consistently enjoyable experiment