Rocketman Review
Nov. 17th, 2019 06:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatWell, now, I get all the noise over Taron Egerton. (The Robin Hood movie is horrible, but he blew me away as Elton John in Rocketman). Actually Rocketman surprised me -- I rented it on "On Demand". As you all most likely know by now, I am not a fan of the bio-pic. They tend to be overly self-indulgent and meander. But this one was interesting and done in a rather innovative manner.
Elton John executive produced it -- and insisted that it focus on his troubles with sex, drugs and rock and roll -- or the early life in the 1970s, as opposed to his entire life. Also, unlike others -- John is still alive and gets a say. Most bio-pics are done years after the individual is long dead.
So, I wasn't sure about it.
It's done as a musical -- but in a rather interesting manner or through a series of flashbacks, as told by Elton John in rehab center to his group therapy. He strides into the group therapy session at the beginning, in full devil angel attire, red horns on his head, feathered wings, and sparkles. Sits down and announces to the group that he is Elton John, alcoholic, sex addict, shopaholic, and addicted to prescription drugs among other things.
The film is a bit like being in a therapy session with John, who tells his story through music and dance numbers. Angry and in your face, yet also weirdly joyous.
If you aren't a fan of Elton John's music (and yes, it's possible there are people out there who aren't) -- this one is not for you. But if you are like me and have been listening to his music since the 1970s and adore it, it will work for you.
The use of the group therapy framing -- I found interesting and innovative, since it focuses the point of view on John. And the narrator is John himself. Through his lense of self-hatred and resentment, we see everyone else. And he is admittedly unreliable in places -- aren't we all?
It's hard to know for certain whether John Reid, the attractive record producer and personal manager portrayed to icy perfection by Robert McFaydden is truly as bad as John portrays him. Although John does realize by the end of the film that Reid's lack of affection for him is meaningless. Reid had seduced him and then manipulated and pushed him to the brink of insanity, but John sort of let him due to his need to be loved. There's a sense of narcissism in the story -- although I don't believe John is truly narcissistic, so much as falling into the narcissistic life style that is alas the life of an entertainer. He falls prey to various labels at various points. And also pushed to hide his sexuality -- which nearly destroys him. He even gets married to a woman, Sheila (portrayed by Bryce Howard) only to be miserable -- because as he points out rather bluntly. "No, the marriage is NOT making me happy. I'm gay." I think Freddie Mercury was a little less miserable in his heterosexual marriage, mainly because I think Mercury was bi-sexual. John is gay.
What I didn't know is that John doesn't write the lyrics to the songs, the lyricist is Bernie Taupin, John is the composer. John may be one the greatest composers of pop music in my lifetime. His written the music to The Lion King, and the compositions for the songs Rocket Man, Candle in the Wind, Bennie and The Jets, I'm Still Standing, and Your Song. The compositions do have a similar thread through them though. His writing is not quite as diversified as some others out there, but it is quite good and lasting. Add to that -- he's an amazing performer on stage and an excellent pianist -- with the ability to play from memory anything he hears, once.
The film ends much as the Johnny Cash film Walk the Line did, Ray Charles, and Bohemian Rhapsody ended -- with the hero getting clean and going back to do his thing, as if nothing happened. We don't see the rest -- it's told in the credits, with real footage along side it. This may be my only quibble -- but alas, it is the nature of the genre, unfortunately. And it doesn't speak well of the music industry or the business of it -- the business seems to be destructive, and the performers in order to survive have to develop thick skins, and a strong personal life that is separate from their art or at least supports it. If you are a sensitive soul -- with a bad home life -- the music industry can tear you apart. And don't trust record producers. Evil bastards.
The acting is top-notch, particularly from Jamie Bell and Taron Egerton, whose career has taken off because of this film -- deservedly so.
Elton John executive produced it -- and insisted that it focus on his troubles with sex, drugs and rock and roll -- or the early life in the 1970s, as opposed to his entire life. Also, unlike others -- John is still alive and gets a say. Most bio-pics are done years after the individual is long dead.
So, I wasn't sure about it.
It's done as a musical -- but in a rather interesting manner or through a series of flashbacks, as told by Elton John in rehab center to his group therapy. He strides into the group therapy session at the beginning, in full devil angel attire, red horns on his head, feathered wings, and sparkles. Sits down and announces to the group that he is Elton John, alcoholic, sex addict, shopaholic, and addicted to prescription drugs among other things.
The film is a bit like being in a therapy session with John, who tells his story through music and dance numbers. Angry and in your face, yet also weirdly joyous.
If you aren't a fan of Elton John's music (and yes, it's possible there are people out there who aren't) -- this one is not for you. But if you are like me and have been listening to his music since the 1970s and adore it, it will work for you.
The use of the group therapy framing -- I found interesting and innovative, since it focuses the point of view on John. And the narrator is John himself. Through his lense of self-hatred and resentment, we see everyone else. And he is admittedly unreliable in places -- aren't we all?
It's hard to know for certain whether John Reid, the attractive record producer and personal manager portrayed to icy perfection by Robert McFaydden is truly as bad as John portrays him. Although John does realize by the end of the film that Reid's lack of affection for him is meaningless. Reid had seduced him and then manipulated and pushed him to the brink of insanity, but John sort of let him due to his need to be loved. There's a sense of narcissism in the story -- although I don't believe John is truly narcissistic, so much as falling into the narcissistic life style that is alas the life of an entertainer. He falls prey to various labels at various points. And also pushed to hide his sexuality -- which nearly destroys him. He even gets married to a woman, Sheila (portrayed by Bryce Howard) only to be miserable -- because as he points out rather bluntly. "No, the marriage is NOT making me happy. I'm gay." I think Freddie Mercury was a little less miserable in his heterosexual marriage, mainly because I think Mercury was bi-sexual. John is gay.
What I didn't know is that John doesn't write the lyrics to the songs, the lyricist is Bernie Taupin, John is the composer. John may be one the greatest composers of pop music in my lifetime. His written the music to The Lion King, and the compositions for the songs Rocket Man, Candle in the Wind, Bennie and The Jets, I'm Still Standing, and Your Song. The compositions do have a similar thread through them though. His writing is not quite as diversified as some others out there, but it is quite good and lasting. Add to that -- he's an amazing performer on stage and an excellent pianist -- with the ability to play from memory anything he hears, once.
The film ends much as the Johnny Cash film Walk the Line did, Ray Charles, and Bohemian Rhapsody ended -- with the hero getting clean and going back to do his thing, as if nothing happened. We don't see the rest -- it's told in the credits, with real footage along side it. This may be my only quibble -- but alas, it is the nature of the genre, unfortunately. And it doesn't speak well of the music industry or the business of it -- the business seems to be destructive, and the performers in order to survive have to develop thick skins, and a strong personal life that is separate from their art or at least supports it. If you are a sensitive soul -- with a bad home life -- the music industry can tear you apart. And don't trust record producers. Evil bastards.
The acting is top-notch, particularly from Jamie Bell and Taron Egerton, whose career has taken off because of this film -- deservedly so.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-18 01:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-18 02:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-18 03:29 am (UTC)Elton's partnership with Bernie Taupin is unique in modern pop music, a partnership we haven't seen since teams like Rogers and Hammerstein. Taupin sends him the words (by email these days) and if the words inspire a melody, a song is created. (If not, the words die on the vine.) You could spend years trying to find something specific in Taupin's lyrics that inspired the music. But the songs really defy a unified analysis. It's just great pop music. (Do we really need anything more?)
Just a side note: Elton had a significant role in the second Kingsman movie, playing a version of himself. Even if the Kingsman series is not to your taste, a portly 70 year old British pop deity kicking ass in high heels is beautiful to watch.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-18 03:56 am (UTC)Ah, that explains something. Elton probably cast Taragon to play himself based on his interactions with the actor in that series.
I didn't see the series -- it's too young for me and not my demographic. (I don't have kids to see movies with. My niece is too far away.)
I wouldn't take a kid to the Elton John bio-pic, which John himself insisted had to be R-rated, because if it didn't include sex, drugs and rock and roll it wasn't true to his life at all.
There's one sex scene -- it's between Robert McFaydden and Taragon. (Or Reid and John, who are both portrayed by actors far more attractive physically than their real life counterparts.) It's not that explicit, in that all you really see is them, kissing, and then arms and legs nakedly fornicating, as the camera drifts up to the ceiling. (I thought it was well done actually). And a suggestion of a sexual orgy, that would require an adult to pick up on it, since it's metaphorically suggested. Nudity is at minimum -- suggested but not really explicit.
You see a lot of drug use, but no more than you saw with Bohemian Rhapsody. Actually I think Bohemian Rhapsody was a tad more explicit in places, but it depends on how you feel about the sex scene I described.
There's no violence. Which is interesting to me about how films are rated -- we think nothing of taking kids to violent films. Guns. Swords. What-not. But sex scenes make us uncomfortable? What does this say about us as a species?
So..I don't know? The music scenes are good. But we see John attempt suicide twice. And the language is raunchy. He uses the C word and often.
John was naughty raunchy R-rated guy, with music that wasn't. Probably because Taupin didn't write raunchy lyrics?
I don't know if the songs defy unified analysis -- in that if you listen to all of them, on repeat for a while, they sound alike. This is however true of the majority of pop music, which is why a lot of music critics aren't crazy about pop music. But there are pop singers who don't -- Pink doesn't, Lady Gaga doesn't, and neither do Rhiannon, and Beyonce. Taylor Swift does...although she's trying to branch out. I'm not sure Peter Gabriele was ever really pop. The Beatles -- don't, but whether they can be consider pop or not is up in the air.
This is true of musical composers as well. Andrew Lloyd Webber's music sounds the same. Sondhiem's is more varied. But you'll only pick up on it, if you go a week or two binge listening to their albums. I did it with Dolly Parton and was surprised that her songs and styling varied. She had more range than I thought. I also did it with Cash -- and that man had extraordinary range.
John as far as I can tell is a bit like Madonna, not a lot of range.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-18 02:51 pm (UTC)I rarely hear much about the band behind Elton when he made those 70s classics. Nigel Olsson (drums), Dee Murray (bass), and especially guitarist Davey Johnstone were a big part of that sound. (Think of that chiming guitar riff leading off "The Bitch is Back.") Were those guys even in the movie?
no subject
Date: 2019-11-18 05:34 pm (UTC)There was a band, but we didn't get the names. This was very much a vanity project that focused solely on Elton John and his issues with his family and addiction as told through his music. We didn't see the process really of making the music. In that regard, Bohemian Rhapsody was better. But Rocketman was far more entertaining from a visual story-telling perspective. But it's focus was solidly on EJ's spiral towards addiction.