Taron Egerton stars as Elton John in Paramount's "Rocketman" - © Paramount Pictures 2018

Rocketman is the long-in-development biopic musical about the life and times of Sir Elton John, who battled substance abuse, legal woes and familial strife all while becoming one of the biggest rock stars of all time. The film stars Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Jamie Bell (The Adventures of Tintin), Richard Madden (Game of Thrones), Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) and Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones’ Diary). Dexter Fletcher directs in his second collaboration with Egerton and producer Matthew Vaughn (Eddie the Eagle), after notably finishing the direction of the Queen and Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Lee Hall, screenwriter of the 2000 drama Billy Elliot which in turn was adapted into a stage musical by Elton John, handled scripting duties.

Photo: David Appleby – © Paramount Pictures 2018

Rocketman immediately makes itself known as a jukebox musical within the first few minutes. We begin with the story of young Reginald Dwight, a lonely child prodigy made even more lonesome by drug abuse, homophobia and ultimately stardom. Child actors Matthew Illesley and Kit Connor respectively play young Reggie and teen Reggie before handing it off to Egerton, and they set the tone for the portrayal of an ebullient talent weighed down by melancholy and a nearly loveless family. The film fluctuates purposefully between dark dramatic scenes and big bursting musical numbers, at times alleviating the dour mood and at others turbocharging Elton’s distress into a neon-colored phantasmagoria. One moment is filled with tender sweetness, the next with wild debauchery, and the earnestness of Egerton holds it all together.

Photo: David Appleby – © Paramount Pictures 2018

Rocketman is striking in this regard: it knows exactly what it is (an R-rated rock musical) and is unashamed of it, cut from the same cloth as its main subject Elton John. This film should be a paradox, but it represents the man himself very well. The heights of his superstardom in the 70s were inextricably tied to his lowest, most nightmarish and miserable moments, teetering at the precipice of self-destruction. As a result, this biopic hides nothing and holds nothing back, be it Elton pushing away his close friend and lyricist Bernie Taupin (Bell), his brief dalliance with a heterosexual marriage or his torturous and explicit relationship with his manager/lover John Reid (Madden). Rocketman possesses a boldness from eras past that other big-budget music films have been fearful to tap into, lest they turn off mainstream audiences. This boldness is refreshing, and it results in an even more rewarding film.

Left to right: Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin and Taron Egerton as Elton John – © Paramount Pictures 2018

Egerton, who has made his name in the Kingsman films, reveals himself as a triple threat. After showcasing his chops in the 2016 animated musical Sing (performing Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” no less), Egerton goes for the brass ring, having to perform some of the world’s most loved songs from one of the world’s most loved performers. It is no easy feat, transforming into Elton John at his prime and exposing himself emotionally and physically while pulling off song-and-dance numbers at an exceedingly high level. Egerton’s Elton John must simultaneously be vulnerable and boorish, cocksure and insecure, on top of the world and at the bottom of the heap. If Rami Malek won an Oscar for Bohemian Rhapsody, an entirely new award may have to be invented for Taron Egerton’s work here. The only thing left to say is: bravo.

Left to right: Taron Egerton with director Dexter Fletcher – © Paramount Pictures 2018

As for the director Dexter Fletcher, he utilizes an uninhibited, unrestrained and unapologetic style to match Sir Elton. Rocketman is packed with visual moments that you can only arrive at in musicals, where characters express their deepest feelings in song. And with a songbook like Elton John’s, the cast of characters have a nuclear arsenal at their disposal. These numbers place us directly into the mind of Elton and his family and friends; the musical genre, be it stage or screen, excels at visualizing a character’s interiority in a way that other audiovisual media simply cannot. Fletcher and his team knows this and use every trick in the book. Time and space blend into one another, fusing memories and fever dreams together. It treats the laws of reality, even the laws of gravity at times, with a thrilling disregard befitting a rock opera.

© Paramount Pictures 2018

Rocketman deserves to be seen on the big screen with a full house. Listening to Elton John’s and Bernie Taupin’s work has an entirely new context to it now, with a new understanding of how tremendous amounts of pain and excess melded together into legendary music. And through that music, Elton John was able to save his own life and allow himself to live to the fullest. It is an incredible story told incredibly well led by an incredible leading man. I cannot recommend Rocketman enough.

Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT PARAMOUNT PICTURES’ ROCKETMAN

ROCKETMAN is an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John’s breakthrough years. The film follows the fantastical journey of transformation from shy piano prodigy Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John. This inspirational story – set to Elton John’s most beloved songs and performed by star Taron Egerton – tells the universally relatable story of how a small-town boy became one of the most iconic figures in pop culture.

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