Review by
Ben Peyton
Directed by: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas
Howard, Stephen Graham, Jamie Bell
Living legend Elton John has been one of music’s most popular and
flamboyant performers for over 40 years. Taron Egerton steps into his
platform shoes and dons his spectacular spectacles in Rocketman, which tells us all about his early years as Reginald Dwight and his
turbulent journey along the yellow brick road as he transforms into the man
we know today.
Director Dexter Fletcher, fresh from the success of Bohemian Rhapsody, takes us back to when rock, and Elton, was young to bring us an extravagant and occasionally brutal look at Elton’s hedonistic lifestyle, his complex relationships with his family and song writing partner Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) and his battles with addiction.
[ READ MORE: New Release Review - The Disciple ]
Egerton once again shows what a talent he is as he effortlessly portrays
Elton’s insecurities, arrogance, loneliness and generosity with a
performance that goes way beyond an impersonation. Borrowing his subject’s
traits and mannerisms, it’s an exaggerated turn that’s every bit as
believable as it is enjoyable. And, boy, can he sing.
Ably backing Egerton up are a fine ensemble cast including a wonderfully understated performance from Bell; Steven Mackintosh is as cold as ice as Elton’s father; Richard Madden oozes style and sex-appeal as music manager John Reid; and Gemma Jones brings her usual class as Elton’s grandmother. But Bryce Dallas Howard, as his mother, doesn’t quite get it right. While she’s perfectly fine in her younger years, as time goes by, her ageing up fails to reach the desired cosmetic effect.
[ READ MORE: New Release Review - Things Heard & Seen ]
Featuring some wonderfully creative uses of some of Elton’s most famous
songs, it’s a shame when they end prematurely. Musical numbers, not just
sung by Elton, are worked into the story seamlessly and a lot of them
acquire new meaning given the circumstances they’re used for. There’s an
awful lot of attention to detail going on here and it’s full marks to the
costume and make-up department for creating, or recreating, many of Elton’s
unique looks, right down to the last sequin.
Rocketman is an exciting, explosive, outrageous and spectacularly inventive biopic that features a career best performance from Egerton. Big, bold and brash, it’s a cascade of colour and a symphony of sound which sheds some light on the origins of one of pop’s most beloved icons.
Rocketman is on Netflix UK/ROI
now.