I went to see this movie completely unassuming. It was a Tuesday, tickets were cheap, and I had time. I had no connection to Elton John other than I knew who he was (kind of hard to avoid) and he was on an episode of The Muppet Show (of which I had the DVD). But let me tell you, this movie absolutely blew me away! I did not realize going in that it was going to be a straight up musical, but it was all the better for it. The way they used the songs to tell the story and set up the emotions for these moments in a rockstar’s life was absolutely stunning. While it would be quite impossible to truly understand the life of Elton John, this movie paints the picture of both sides to the story: the glamour of having your dreams unfold bigger than you could have possibly imagined, and the hard reality of being caught in a whirlwind of fame and popularity. Being constantly in the public eye, while still trying to have relationships, was a seen struggle, especially in the much more challenging climate of trying to be comfortable with yourself and your sexuality when the world may not necessarily be. The film does leave you with a hope for the future and a pep in your step. For me, I always seem to have “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” in my head for a few days, which I am not going to argue with.
Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard
Rating: 5/5
Mid-Credits Scene: Yes
After-Credits Scene: No
Comments