Rocketman

Rocketman

Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard

Directed by Dexter Fletcher

The Story:
Entering a AA meeting in full regalia, Elton John (Taron Egerton) tells the story of how he ended up in a world of rock and roll, and all the vices that come along with it.  As a child, he was neglected by his father Stanley (Steven Mackintosh) and his mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard) often berated him.  He learned at a young age to play the piano, and as the years progressed his talent only increased.

He is finally introduced to Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell), who writes the music to Taupin's lyrics, and the two form a successful and personal friendship.  It's at this time Elton (whose real name was Reginald Dwight) changes his name to Elton John, and receives a record deal and an invitation to play at the prestigious Troubadour in the States, and where he meets John Reid (Richard Madden), who would later become his new manager and lover.  As his fame begins to skyrocket, Elton spirals into a world of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll that threatens his very sanity and life.

The Synopsis:
While taking history classes in high school, I always found it odd that we would start each year with a look at the way past, but by the time the end of the year came, we never successfully got to modern times.  I never knew who won World War II (or I for that matter), but I could sure recite the Magna Carta.  Which brings me to "Rocketman," and numerous other films of this subgenre type - it manages to really highlight the "biggest hits" of a famous person's career, but never really supplies a finite ending.  Sure, Elton John is still alive, but I would've liked to have known more about him after his stint in rehab and coming back from drug addiction, instead of treated to a post-script type at the end of the film.

I promise I will not compare this biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" - even though both center on British legendary rock 'n rollers who revolutionized the genre and both led very compelling, ultimately self-destructive personal lives - but "Rocketman" managed to do a few things better than the Oscar-winning "Rhapsody," and that is due to the rating it received.  Both men clearly lived an R-rated lifestyle, but "Rhapsody" was neutered in its ability to really tell Freddie Mercury's story due to its PG-13 rating, while "Rocketman" earned a much-deserved "R" rating, allowing Elton John to be seen as the partying, philandering man he was without holding anything back (and trust me, the film really doesn't hold anything back).  Alright, I guess I will compare the two, but this is the only time I will - promise.

What sets "Rocketman" apart from other biopics is that they really don't care about telling the true story of Elton John - at least where his music is concerned.  Songs are performed out of sequence to when they were really written and where, but it ultimately doesn't matter because it's in these scenes that these iconic songs are somehow given a new life, a new feeling, like you've listened to them for the first time (the title track especially packs much more of a punch than when you've heard it on the radio).  The film is also labeled as a "true fantasy," as the film bounces from real-life moments to flash-mob song and dance numbers effortlessly, almost like this really happened in Elton John's life.

We hit all the high notes that you find on a Wikipedia page - his tragic upbringing, his meeting with lifetime collaborator Bernie Taupin, his tumultuous relationship with John Reid, and his world of drugs - but manages to give you a deeper sense of the man through these experiences, and not just gloss over them.  Still, it would've been nice if the film continued after, but again it's like history class in high school - you just never know.

The casting choices in the film are, for the most part, spot-on.  Bryce Dallas Howard is the lone holdout, as she seems strangely miscast as the role of Elton John's mother.  Jamie Bell gives Bernie Taupin an emotional center for Elton, and Richard Madden plays John Reid with a perfect blend of slyness and greed.  Yet it's Taron Egerton who gives the performance of his young career here as Elton John, and it's no surprise why - the two have been friends since Elton John played himself in Egerton's "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" two years ago, and you can feel the connection between the two in this performance.  Egerton provided his own singing voice to the songs, and while it's not necessarily exactly like Elton John, that's what also makes it so great - Elton John is one-of-a-kind, and "Rocketman" shows us clearly how unique he really is.

However, what this film also provides is a story about redemption.  Elton John wasn't the nicest person in the world, and he often focused more on himself and his outlandish stage persona (which were also on full display here) than anyone else around him, and here we see why he was that way, and what changed him for the better.  It proves that anyone can change, but it takes hard work and dedication to do it - plus a bunch of songs that speak to those particular moments in life as well.

The Summary:
With a solid lead role, "Rocketman" manages to blend the fantasy and wonder of the life of Elton John, and strips it all away to show a flawed man who just longs for love, but feels it's impossible to achieve - and then witness his redemption and rise to living the life of an icon.

The Score: A