BASED ON A TRUE FANTASY.
After the success of the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), which director Dexter Fletcher also worked on, the time came for Elton John to grab the spotlight. The films are similar, conveying infectious musical energy and dealing with themes of loneliness and drug abuse. Unlike Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, Taron Egerton doesn’t just perform an imitation but truly owns the part; he’s magnificent even in the musical numbers, engaging fantasies built around the artist’s many unforgettable songs. The movie is also an engrossing therapy session, giving Elton a chance to re-examine his life, sometimes controversially.
2019-Britain-U.S. 121 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Adam Bohling, David Furnish, David Reid, Matthew Vaughn. Directed by Dexter Fletcher. Screenplay: Lee Hall. Song: ”(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” (Elton John, Bernie Taupin). Cast: Taron Egerton (Reginald Dwight/Elton John), Jamie Bell (Bernie Taupin), Richard Madden (John Reid), Gemma Jones, Bryce Dallas Howard, Stephen Graham.
Trivia: Co-executive produced by Elton John; Furnish is his husband. Tom Hardy, James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe were allegedly considered to play the lead.
Oscar: Best Original Song. Golden Globes: Best Actor (Egerton), Original Song.
Last word: “Great acting’s about truth and as long as [Elton John] knew we were being truthful to how he felt, and that there was a continuity for that was stitched together, that was really what was paramount and I think the success of Taron’s performance. He doesn’t look particularly like Elton, but hopefully, people will go, ‘You don’t sing like him but there’s only one person who does, and that’s Elton John.’ I could have searched forever to find someone who looks exactly like him, but can they sing, can they act, can they dance? Probably not.” (Fletcher, SlashFilm)
