Rating: R
Runtime: 2 hours, 1 minute
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Quick Impressions:
When I learned that Taron Edgerton was playing Elton John in Rocketman, I thought, “Yeah, of course he is. He essentially auditions in the movie Sing.”
Remember Sing? It’s like Zootopia meets American Idol. There’s this koala played by Matthew McConaughey who’s so desperate to save his family’s theater that he cooks up a sketchy singing competition, and a bunch of other celebrity-voiced animals cover catchy hits trying to win the non-existent prize money. I skipped it in theaters, but then my kids were watching it on Netflix one day, and I surprised myself by getting deeply emotionally invested. McConaughey (not speaking in his usual accent) brings such sweet pathos to that koala. And near the end of the movie, Taron Edgerton’s Johnny (a talented gorilla pianist from a lovable family of gangsters) gives a rousing, upbeat performance of Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.”
If someone had asked me, “Who would you cast as a young Elton John?” I’m sure I would have answered immediately, “How about that talented gorilla trying to break away from his family’s life of crime? He sounds just like him!”
Edgerton also performs “I’m Still Standing” at the end of Rocketman, but the whole vibe is very different. I’ll admit that when I saw the movie posters for this film showing Edgerton decked out in Elton John’s sparkling, exciting regalia, I thought of that triumphant, energetic performance at the end of Sing, and I expected a flashy, fast-paced, thrill ride of a sing-a-long.
But unlike Bohemian Rhapsody (also (partially) helmed by Dexter Fletcher), Rocketman isn’t aimed at recreating Elton John’s greatest performances. Instead, it wants to show us the real man behind all the costumes and showmanship. Bohemian Rhapsody was widely criticized for its superficiality. Rami Malek’s Oscar winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury may have shown nuance and depth, but the movie itself focused mainly on moving through the biggest hits of the band in a way that would most entertain the audience. For the most part, Bohemian Rhapsody is fun to watch, but it seems to view the fascinating figure of Mercury from a great distance. We watch his journey from magnetic presence to rock god. We personally witness his apotheosis, but despite our unparalleled view of the stage, we’re still in the audience.
Rocketman digs deeper, right into the heart of Elton John. (At times, we even have a child Elton John singing the music of Elton John to an adult Elton John). We see the most formative, intimate moments of the artist’s life. We’re right there with him, understanding his experiences from his point of view. In other words, Bohemian Rhapsody mythologizes, and Rocketman strips away myth.
As a result, Rocketman is sometimes less “fun” than Bohemian Rhapsody. That movie feels like a fan event. This one is a drama that also happens to be a musical. That’s the other major thing that distinguishes the two films (which really have little in common besides great music, Dexter Fletcher, and fake teeth). Rocketman doesn’t just dramatize the writing and performance of famous songs. Instead, it works the songs into the narrative as if the characters are singing the lyrics from their hearts. It’s a good old-fashioned musical.
At first, this bothered me a bit. During the earliest numbers, I kept thinking, “Yes, this is Elton John’s music, but it seems odd to use it to reveal his inner thoughts or meaningful moments of his life because Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics.”
Going into Bohemian Rhapsody, I barely knew anything about Queen, but I’ve known and loved Elton John’s work for years! In high school and college, I owned several greatest hits albums. (I know “real fans” own the original albums, but I’m not trying to be cool. I just want to hear the songs.) My dear friend who is now a nun listened to Billy Joel almost non-stop. We used to trade CDs and tapes. She got me hooked on that piano man, and I made her a fan of Elton John. The point is, you don’t have to do any research beyond reading a track listing in the album liner to know that Bernie Taupin is the lyricist.
This movie, though, sheds some light on Sir Elton’s long term professional partnership with Taupin and made me consider for the first time that although Taupin did write the lyrics, in most cases, he wrote them for Elton John. So even though Sir Elton only writes the music, the lyrics are deeply personally meaningful to him, as well. (I’m American, but referring to him as “John” just sounds odd, hence my inconsistent use of “Sir Elton.”)
The Good:
As a drama, Rocketman is fabulous. One takeaway is obvious. The world owes a great debt of gratitude to Elton John’s grandmother. As played by Gemma Jones, she is clearly the one kind person in young Reggie Dwight’s family. If Reggie’s nan hadn’t taken an active role in fostering his musical genius, then who knows what would have happened!
I personally knew absolutely nothing about Elton John’s childhood before watching this movie, and I find it fascinating to learn about the person behind the stage persona. Is Rocketman accurate? Beats me! But I do know that Sir Elton himself is the executive producer of the movie and enthusiastically loves the results. I’ll assume that Elton John knows more about his own life than I do, so whether all the facts line up with other sources or not, I’ll take it as the truth. Personally, I would rather learn how Elton John sees his own life than read an encyclopedia entry written by some stranger. What he chooses to showcase gives us genuine insight. I’m sure some liberties are taken with facts and dates, but who cares? (Well, the other people who appear as characters in the movie might care, but, for the most part, they’re treated kindly. The person examined with the greatest scrutiny is Elton John himself.)
As we watch, we see quite clearly how Elton John feels about the major players in his life. I found his warm feelings for his lifelong collaborator Bernie Taupin (likeably played by Jamie Bell) extremely touching. I’ve been a fan of Elton John’s music for years, but I didn’t know anything about how it was written. I loved getting some insight into the professional and personal dynamic between the song-writing duo.
I also enjoyed the peek into the artist’s childhood. The movie is presented to us as recollections from a group therapy session in rehab. I enjoyed the conceit, and I like the emotional closure this brings. As someone born in 1979, I do not think first of Elton John’s addictions and excesses which happened mainly in my young childhood (and before). I’m aware that these things did happen, but I think of Elton John mainly as a positive presence. Since my teenage years, he’s been in the news a lot, always for doing something good, something fun, something helpful, something generous, something kind. He does kind things that he has no obligation to do (like when he performed “Stan” with Eminem after Dido refused. That’s a fantastic version of “Stan,” by the way. There’s an emotion and energy in the piano part that’s lacking from the original where the piano just seems like part of the background). I think this movie is yet another kind, helpful thing he’s doing. He sets a good example for people in pain, telling them that it’s okay to love themselves as they are. He’s a living success story.
The supporting cast in the movie is made up of excellent actors. Both Matthew Illesley and Kit Connor, the child actors who play young Reggie, are very good. Illesley eerily resembles the photographs of the actual Young Reggie we see in the closing credits, and Connor gives such a good performance I was almost sorry to make the jump to Taron Edgerton.
As it turns out, though, Edgerton is absolutely fantastic in the role. He’s just as good as Rami Malek. I would not surprise me at all to see him get an Oscar nomination. Yes, Malek just won. But Jamie Foxx won for playing Ray Charles, and then Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for Walk the Line the next year. I thought Edgerton was surely cast for his ability to sing like Elton John, but, honestly, his musical performances take a back seat to his dramatic acting. He gives us a window into the character’s soul, and makes Elton John sympathetic at all times, even when his behavior becomes less than charming. He probably deserves an Oscar.
I spent the entire movie trying (and ultimately failing) to recognize the actress playing Reggie’s mother. Ever since the trailer, I’ve thought, “Oh yes! I like her! That’s…” And then her precise identity would allude me. I recognized her. I remembered that I like her. But I could never quite call to mind her identity. Halfway through the movie, I thought, “I guess I’m never going to remember her name. Maybe she’s on one of those British mystery shows my mom watches.” Yeah, it’s Bryce Dallas Howard. When I saw her name in the end credits, I felt unbelievable stupid. I guess if you give someone a wig and an accent, she becomes unrecognizable to me. I would be very easy to con. If my husband and I ever divorce, expect me to hire Mrs. Doubtfire the next week without batting an eyelash. (Even I wouldn’t fall for Mrs. Featherbottom, though.) So yes, I do recognize and like Bryce Dallas Howard. I was right about that much. I think she’s very good as Reggie’s enigmatic and frustrating mother. (His father can be written off, but the mother is so frustrating because she keeps giving you hope that she might care.)
Gemma Jones is such a welcome, sympathetic presence as Reggie’s grandmother. You’ll love her. It’s very easy.
Steven Mackintosh brings the cold, distant, baffling father to life very well.
One odd thing is that much of the movie focuses on Elton’s troubled (romantic and professional) relationship with manager John Reid. I did not even realize until writing this review that this John Reid is indeed the same John Reid who managed Queen. (Remember? He’s the guy Freddie throws out of the car for suggesting he go solo in Bohemian Rhapsody.) How odd! I mean, in real life Reid must have been big on scheming and intrigue. He’s played by two different actors from Game of Thrones! What does that say about a person? Littlefinger plays him in Bohemian Rhapsody. Here he’s played (somewhat more handsomely) by erstwhile King in the North hopeful Robb Stark, aka Richard Madden. The actor is compelling in the role. To a degree, the character seems villainous, but you do see many redeeming qualities. (You know how in life, you sometimes wonder, “Why does he stay with him?”) You can see why the relationship lasts as long as it does. Madden does excellent, nuanced supporting work.
Also Tate Donnovan is in this movie! I hadn’t seem him in anything for quite a while! (I guess I’m just watching the wrong stuff.)
Best Scene:
For me, the most moving, and therefore most effective scene in the entire film is the adult Elton’s visit to his father. That is equal parts heart-breaking and baffling. I’m sure that some people will watch this movie and say that much of it is just Elton John feeling sorry for himself. I say, yeah, well, you would feel sorry for yourself, too, if your father treated you this way.
This is genuinely moving stuff. Your heart just sinks as you watch more and more. Watching it, I start to worry that I haven’t been hugging my children enough. I’m demonstrative by nature, but it seems like every time I have a new child, that’s the one in my arms 99 percent of the time.
Throughout the film, both the actor and the movie around him do such a great job showing us what Elton feels and making us feel it along with him. That first party in California felt so realistic to me. I’ve never been one of the most famous musical artists in the world, but I could still relate to so much of what he’s feeling there.
Best Scene Visually:
In this film, cinematography and choreography so often combine to create not only arresting, but meaningful, memorable visuals. The camera work is always interesting. Some shots seem laden with symbolic meaning. Others are less likely candidates for analysis but still look really cool. I love George Richmond’s cinematography. For whatever reason, I’ve reached a point in life when I prefer captivating, unusual camera work, even if it draws a great deal of attention to itself.
I particularly like the “Crocodile Rock” scene. We can see clearly that this moment thrills Elton. The performance is transcendent in multiple ways. He is lifted up by the adulation of the audience, and his performance is carrying him to new heights. Plus, I’ve always loved “Crocodile Rock” and have so many memories of dancing around while listening to it on my Walkman. (Fun fact: When you listen to “Crocodile Rock” on a Walkman, everyone knows. The headphones may mask other songs, but, as I know from my sister, other family members, and my college roommates, no matter what, everybody can always hear, “La…lalalalalaaaaaa!”)
One thing about this moment does puzzle me, though. Later, in the closing credits, we see the photograph from this performance that inspired such captivating, surreal choreography. Here’s what I don’t understand. How did Elton strike such a dramatic pose in real life? How did he achieve lift off?
My other favorite image from the film is the stage smile Elton puts on just before walking out to perform before a crowd of adoring fans. He does this multiple times, and I found it so easy to relate to. Taron Edgerton conveys such intense and complex emotion through this simple gesture. Small touches like this truly elevate his performance.
Best Action Sequence:
I’m personally a fan of Elton’s theatrical (and honest) suicide attempt.
In another absolutely fantastic scene, young Elton conducts a symphony orchestra in his bedroom.
The Negatives:
I regret not seeing this with a bigger, more engaged audience. We went on a Wednesday night with just a few other people. It would be far better as a special screening at someplace like the Alamo Drafthouse or Flix Brewhouse with themed food and a teeming audience who were really into the movie and ready to engage with it.
I do think that the movie itself needs to bring more energy to its musical numbers. The choreography and cinematography are amazing. It’s impossible to fault the familiar (beloved even) music and lyrics. But I feel like some energy is getting lost somewhere, and I’m not sure I can pintpoint the problem. One issue is that while Edgerton has an excellent singing voice, the same cannot be said of everyone in the cast. Another thing is that because the various characters sing out the lyrics as if vocalizing their thoughts, the music is slowed down a bit. This creates an odd new tempo. It loses that driving urgency. In fairness, though, the movie does seem to be going for that effect. Instead of radio hits, we’re getting a passionate rock opera about the inner demons of the composer. (It’s not actually an opera. There’s lots of spoken dialogue. It’s not even an operetta.)
Also, the musical expects you to be familiar with Elton John “from the outside.” (And most people are.) It helps to go in already knowing his music and his early stage persona because the movie doesn’t give us too much of this. It just begins deconstructing it immediately.
I suppose the movie gets its R-rating because of drug, suicide, and sexuality-related references. It seems like a pretty mild R to me. It’s one of those “mature themes” Rs. There’s really no graphic content, but the material is suited to serious-minded adults.
Overall:
Rocketman is a musical that gives us great insight into how Elton John overcame inner demons that tormented him since his troubled childhood. The movie offers arresting cinematography that pairs thoughtfully with the choreography, a fantastic (perhaps Oscar-worthy) lead performance by Taron Edgerton, and, of course, great music. Don’t go expecting a rollicking sing-a-long. This is a drama with some extremely sad moments. Ultimately, though, the experience is rewarding (and maybe even a uplifting, to a degree).