An visceral, infectious story that values emotion over fact.
“You’ve got to kill the person you were born to be to become the person you want to be”. These words were probably never spoken to Elton John, but in Rocketman, this is one of the most important moments of Elton’s life, spoken to him by a blues singer in a small but packed London club.
That Rocketman relies on feeling and emotion over the cold, hard facts is no surprise to anyone that’s seen advertisements for the film. A joyride through the tumultuous life of Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Dwight), led by the fantastic Taron Egerton, Rocketman delivers on what it feels like to be Elton, and that’s truly what matters.
The film gives the broad-strokes of Elton’s life, starting in his modest upbringing by a strict family (save his grandmother – who doesn’t love a fun grandma?!) and taking us through his rise to stardom and all the heartbreak in-between. We’re never given a year, or really much of anything in the realm of specifics.
Instead, we’re served an assortment of raucous and beautifully choreographed musical numbers, with loose expository scenes in between to tell us where Elton is in his career and his emotional journey.
A young Elton being emotionally abused by his father? He and his mother break into “I want love” in the middle of dinner.
Teenage Elton playing at local pubs on Saturday nights? A beautifully staged “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” that gets the whole neighborhood involved with hundreds of extras.
His breakout concert at the Troubadour? A foot-stomping rendition of “Crocodile Rock” where he and the audience ethereally float before breaking into the chorus.
You get the picture.
The film was admittedly more surreal than I had expected, and is definitely a musical, not just a biopic about a musician. Elton’s music is not only infectious, but gives important information and drives the narrative forward. Rocketman relies on the music to get the audience on board, and its choreography and willingness to go absolutely crazy with the visuals in the musical segments is admirable. The film is unabashedly itself, just like Elton, and it’s better for it.
Where the film lacks in things like pacing and character development for its supporting players, it makes up for with heart and Taron Egerton’s commanding performance. Iterations past of the film, which has been in development for nearly twenty years, were attached to Tom Hardy and Justin Timberlake. After seeing Taron’s dedication, presence, and surprisingly impressive voice, I have no doubt that he was the right choice. His performance is more than mere imitation; it’s interpretation and ownership over Elton’s journey.
We’ve been inundated with big-budget musical pics as of late (Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born, The Greatest Showman, etc.), and Rocketman is undoubtedly the best of the bunch. Its taking of creative liberties enhances the story, yet it still pays more attention to its lead characters’ sexuality than Bohemian Rhapsody. The film is also an achievement in that it’s the first major-studio-produced film to show sex between two men.
I didn’t know much, if anything, about Elton John’s life, and although I may not know much in the realm of facts/time period after seeing Rocketman, I’ve had a taste of Elton’s journey. I know what he’s been through, what he’s felt, and what he wanted. The film had me laughing, crying, stomping, and clapping, and anything that brings a genuine emotional response from an audience is a good film in my book.
See it.
You’ll have a treasure trove of 30 albums that you’ll want to listen to as soon as the credits roll.
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