unexpected Rocketman review

[cimorene]

We saw Rocketman last night and it was FANTASTIC. It was INCREDIBLE. It was just - they did an amazing job. I am not a big fan of musicals, but given that it's about Elton John, making a musical and throwing themselves into it at 110 mph of sincerity was the only way to go, and boy, did they. It's very gay, very colorful, very unafraid to skim over 5 years or more via a transforming costume change in the middle of a musical number, full of recreated Elton John stage costumes that are wonderful and hilarious even if you've seen them before. Everyone is clearly having the time of their lives, including the score composer whose enviable task was making smooth thematic bridges between and variations on Elton John songs.

I wouldn't have thought you could make a story with such depressing 'nearly succumbing to depression and self-loathing' stuff so fun and funny and uplifting (ultimately - I did cry a bunch of times first), but they did a fantastic job. And even if you didn't like musicals I think you could still enjoy this movie solely on the basis of the visual design (although maybe not if you don't like sequins, or if you genuinely don't like Elton John's music; and definitely not if you're triggered by suicide attempts, or if you are a child who isn't cognitively and emotionally prepared for that much explicit drugs and alcohol). Some of the musical theater-style musical numbers were so witty that I was muffling shouts of glee in the theater.

Also, some interview/BTS/promo material featuring Taron Egerton and Elton John is well worth watching too. Also this review focusing on the wigs (and dressing gowns) by wigwurq is a great read that does a better job of selling it, unless you prefer to avoid potentially spoilery details.

(Yeah, I thought I'd be posting a longer review of Good Omens first, but I haven't finished rereading it. We should be signing the deed to the house Tuesday. Third time's the charm?)

Comments

[hypertwink]

Thank you for that link to wigwurq. I didn't know I needed to laugh that hard today and about wigs, to boot but I think I really needed it. God, I need to watch this but it opens here on June 19 :(

[cimorene]

That's only 10 days!

[yvannairie]

> It's very gay, very colorful, very unafraid to skim over 5 years or more via a transforming costume change in the middle of a musical number

That sounds phenomenal all on its own :D

[ithiliana]

I loved this film too -- for all the same reasons, and yes, crying.

[cimorene]

I just watched an interview with Taron (Jimmy Kimmel? Or um... one of those guys) where he said that they got a 4 minute standing ovation at Cannes, which I feel was very well-deserved!

[ithiliana]

Oh, yeah, it was a fantastically well-done movie. Did you see Elton John posting a challenge to Putin claiming that Russia is just fine with gay people because they censored Rocketman (not just the nude scene but the information about his husband and their children) in Russia?????

[cimorene]

Well, I didn't see that although given what I've read recently, it seems in character for him. I'd be very surprised if there was a response there though, since Putin knows he's lying and knows everybody knows it already. ANd, well, the fact that Russia has illegalized and jailed gay people is arguably a stronger argument than their censorship is...

[ithiliana]

Link!

https://nypost.com/2019/06/30/putin-calls-elton-john-a-musical-genius-despite-censoring-rocketman/