Under Forman’s direction and Hulce’s powerhouse performance in the title role, the film is at once mesmerizing and deliciously fun-a story of overindulgence, complete with powdered wigs and pantaloons. And if you ever thought classical music was boring, “Amadeus”will quickly disabuse you of that idea. Forman’s film is a sumptuous, even hedonistic, foray into the debaucheries of upper-class 18th Century Vienna. Milos Forman’s 1984 film, “Amadeus,” was one of the most storied flicks of the year, garnering eight Academic Awards, including ‘Best Picture.’ If we’re going to take a cinematic voyage into musical history, then we might as well go all the way back to the music world’s original bad boy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Tom Hulce in a scene from “Amadeus” (1984). In addition to rollicking performances of familiar favorites, the film also features an Academy Award-winning original song written and performed by John and long-time collaborator, Bernie Taupin. Thus, not only did he end up in rehab, but he didn’t have the skills to form relationships and even dating someone with mental health disorders takes particular effort.īut if the fun, fantasy, and drama aren’t enough to whet your appetite for “Rocketman,” then the soundtrack surely will. During this specific time in history, disorders such as depression and anxiety, which likely fueled John’s addictions, weren’t properly treated. John’s travails with forging lasting and healthy relationships as he battles his own inner demons lay the groundwork for the film, which opens, unforgettably, with John recounting the story of his life and loves while dressed in a devil’s costume during a stint in rehab. Taron Egerton’s poignant portrayal of John’s battles with anxiety and depression, his drug dependency, and his struggle with sexuality is often wrenchingly poignant, notwithstanding Fletcher’s cinematic fireworks. The film is billed as a “musical fantasy” that in some moments reads more like a nightmarish dreamscape of drugs, madness, and sadness. The talented but troubled artist claws his way to unlikely success before suffering an ignominious fall and ultimate redemption.īut “Rocketman”is more than a standard story of an exceptional life driven by outstanding talent. In some ways, “Rocketman,” Dexter Fletcher’s 2019 biography of the extraordinary life of the iconic Sir Elton John, conforms to the standard formula of the musical biopic. Taron Egerton as the enigmatic Elton John in “Rocketman.”
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