ROCKETMAN REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Based on Elton John, Rocketman successfully captures the highs and lows of his life. I can't imagine fans of John being disappointed with what the director, Dexter Fletcher, has created. It covers all of the important aspects of John's life, including his childhood, his relationship with his father, his sexuality and his struggles with alcohol, drug and sex addiction. However, it's not a straightforward biopic as Fletcher tells John's story in a unique way, which makes sense, considering the singer was far from ordinary. In an interview at CinemaCon, Taron Egerton, who portrays John, stated that Rocketman would be a fantasy-musical. This method works and, throughout the film, characters frequently break out into song, singing some of John's classic hits, including 'Your Song', 'Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting', 'Tiny Dancer' and 'I'm Still Standing'. Characters randomly breaking out into song can seem out of place for a lot of films, however, it works for Rocketman and a lot of the songs matches the mood of the scene they feature in.

While I do know who John is and many of his most successful songs, there was a lot I didn't know about him, including certain aspects of his life. I think that even the biggest fans of John may be surprised about certain revelations, including his struggle with depression and suicide attempt. Rocketman succeeds at showing depression in a realistic way. From an outsider's perspective, it can seem like John's life was perfect but Flexter's biopic shows that it was far from it. One scene that stood out shows John trying to put on a happy face before one of his performances. This shows that, while John may have appeared to be happy on stage, behind close doors, he was struggling. I really respected John, who co-produced Rocketman, for not shying away from the most difficult aspects of his life. 

While Rocketman clearly shows John's darkest moments, this doesn't prevent it from being inspiring, uplifting and a celebration of his life and music. Throughout Rocketman, we learn about the stories behind some of his most successful songs, including 'Your Song', 'Rocketman' and 'I'm Still Standing', which he co-wrote with Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). Many people will know Taupin as the writer behind John's songs, however, the film shows that he's more than just a songwriter, he's John's best friend. Rocketman shows their friendship effectively and reveals that, in the fifty years they've been friends, they've never had an argument. 

The strongest aspect of Rocketman is the acting. Since making his breakthrough performance in Kingsman: The Secret Service in 2014, Egerton has continued to impress in films such as Eddie The Eagle, Sing  and the Kingsman sequel, The Golden Circle, which also featured John. In Sing, an animated feature about a singing competition, Egerton voiced a gorilla named Johnny, and sings 'I'm Still Standing'. As John, Egerton gives his best dramatic performance yet. He captures John's eccentric personality, love for music and also his vulnerability. He is supported by a strong ensemble cast including Bell as Taupin, Richard Madden as John's manager and love interest, John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as John's mother. While each actor gives a strong performance, it's Egerton who leaves a lasting impression with his portrayal of the singer.

Rocketman features many of John's most successful songs and uses them in creative ways. They're worked into his story seamlessly, with some of them acquiring new meaning, given the circumstances they're used for. The most memorable musical numbers are 'Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting', 'Rocketman', 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word' and 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'. The songs appear during the most appropriate scenes, with 'Rocketman' being sung by John shortly after he overdoses and falls into his pool. 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' is sung by John as he leaves before one of his concerts and enters rehab. 

Apart from his songs, John is known for his many over-the-top costumes and outfits. The attention to detail in Rocketman is impressive, with the costume design standing out. The make-up and costumes contribute to Egerton's already impressive performance as he does resemble the singer when he's wearing John's costumes. 

By effectively showing the highs and lows of Elton John's life and career, Rocketman is a successful biopic that features an impressive dramatic performance from Taron Egerton as the singer.

8/10