Movie Review: Rocketman
Framing a biopic of a musician as an actual musical is such an obvious choice, no one does it. Fortunately, the team behind Elton John biopic Rocketman went for it.
As the stories (and biopics) of the biggest musicians of the ’60s and ’70s go, Elton John is not unique — after pairing up with lyricist Bernie Taupin, the two struggle to get their music out into the world, complete with a scene of Elton playing a few lines of some of the duo’s best, most-famous songs, only to be shot down. Finally, their big break comes with “Your Song,” they get some gigs in America, hit it big, and fall into the vices of the rock ’n’ roll world. Rocketman uses Elton John’s stint in rehab as framing, opening with the musician entering a group session in full ostentatious stage wear. He tells the group (and audience) his life story, essentially, losing bits of the costume as the film progresses until finally, he sits in just a track suit, a visual representation of his vulnerability. It’s filled with self-reflection, bringing him from self-loathing and loneliness to self-acceptance and redemption. But it’s also very much a story of an amazingly successful duo, with some of the film’s strongest moments coming from scenes of Taupin and Elton John together, whether it’s their first time collaborating to Taupin visiting Elton in rehab.
It’s fitting that a musician with huge hits and a reputation for over-the-top costumes throughout his career gets full fantasy song-and-dance numbers to tell his story — an Elton John biopic demands some grandiosity, and some of the film’s best moments come from that. An energetic “Crocodile Rock,” played during Elton John’s first performance at the Troubador, has both Elton and the audience floating, another visual representation of how music can make one feel. It’s undoubtedly a feeling Elton John fans have had in the decades since as he continues to tour, and particularly now during his farewell tour. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a dark but visually stunning “Bennie and the Jets.”
And, of course, “Rocketman” itself is the best sequence in the film. Taron Egerton plays Elton John wonderfully, with wonderful, smooth singing that is distinctly different from the chart-topping musician he’s playing, and while it makes for a different sound than fans are used to, it allows Egerton to shine in the part and show off his own talents. And given the framing as a musical, it’s a wise choice.
The songs and their placement do muddle the chronology at times, but they succeed otherwise. We know and love them, and like a traditional musical, they serve to move things forward, define the characters, and give us a glimpse into their minds.
For all its strengths as a well-done, fun but emotional musical trip, Rocketman, isn’t perfect. While it covers a lot in its two-hour runtime, some aspects of Elton John’s life and career are glossed over, such as his marriage to Renate Blauel, which gets just a few minutes from their meeting to the end of the marriage.
Still, Rocketman isn’t your run-of-the-mill biopic — even the clichés don’t feel so clichéd — and fans will enjoy hearing some of their favorite songs in a different context and with grandiose fantasy sequences befitting of such a big persona.
