Rocket Man (2019)

Directed by: Dexter Fletcher | 121 minutes | biography, drama | Actors: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gemma Jones, Steven Mackintosh, Tom Bennett, Matthew Illesley, Kit Connor, Charlie Rowe, Peter O’Hanlon, Ross Farrelly, Evan Walsh, Tate Donovan, Sharmina Harrower, Ophelia Lovibond, Celinde Schoenmaker, Stephen Graham

Justice for Dexter Fletcher! The British director was flown in at the last minute to wrap up the Queen biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (2018) after original director Bryan Singer was fired by 20th Century Fox for repeatedly being late on set (or sometimes even altogether). no-show) and other misconduct. Under Fletcher’s direction, the final scenes were filmed, the film went through the post-production phase and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ grew into a resounding success. But he didn’t get credit for it, because Singer’s name was on the credits. At least his name should have been there. Fortunately, Fletcher had another trump card: ‘Rocketman’ (2019), a biopic about the life of singer-songwriter Elton John, is in the pipeline. A film for which it does get the credit it deserves and which makes you wonder what Fletcher could have made of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ if he had been allowed to run that film from head to tail. Because ‘Rocketman’ is a wonderfully exuberant, imaginative and musical triumph that fits perfectly with the showman that John is and playfully interweaves his still strong songs in the film.

That ‘Rocketman’ is far from ordinary is immediately apparent from the first scene: dressed in an orange devil suit with glitter and feathers, Elton John (a great Taron Egerton) steps into a corridor to the sounds of ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’. This turns out to lead to a room where a therapy session for addicts is in progress. Elton takes a seat, because he can talk about that too. If we want to know where all his addictions come from, we have to go back in time. And so we see a young Reggie Dwight (Kit Connor) – because that’s what Elton’s name is – in his childhood home in the English town of Pinner. His childhood hasn’t exactly been warm; mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard on the verge of camp, but that’s allowed in this film) is mostly concerned with herself and father Stanley (Steven Mackintosh) is rarely present. Both give the already not so self-confident boy (because: glasses, firm) little support or love. Fortunately, Grandma Ivy (Gemma Jones) supports him when he wants to audition for the Royal Academy of Music. When Reggie catches his mother with another man (Tom Bennett), his father files for divorce and their relationship deteriorates even further.

We make a jump in time and see that Reggie is now in the backing band of a soul group. His ambition, however, is to come to the fore himself, even though deep down he is a shy boy. ‘You have to kill te person you were born to be, in order to become the person you want to be’, he gets as a tip from an experienced soul singer. And so the idea of ​​his alter ego Elton John is born. He knocks on the door of record label Dick James (Stephen Graham) with his music. He is not immediately enthusiastic: ‘First come up with a good song, then we’ll talk further’. The meeting with songwriter Bernie Taupin (nice and warm role by Jamie Bell) in 1967 marks the beginning of a friendship and collaboration that has now lasted for five decades. Together they take their first steps towards success. His career has been launched with a dynamic performance at the famous Troubadour club in Los Angeles, where he gets the crowds with ‘Crocodile Rock’. But with success comes temptation, and Elton can’t resist them well. He also decides to work with manager John Reid (Richard Madden), both professionally and privately, but is that so wise…?

By telling the story as one big retrospective, Fletcher and screenwriter Lee Hall (‘Billy Elliot’ (2000)) give themselves the space to fit John’s rich oeuvre into the events in a frivolous way. Sun Go Down on Me’ – a duet with the Dutch musical star Celinde Schoenmaker who plays a modest role as John’s German excuse wife Renate), sometimes exuberant (‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’ is completely staged like a musical number), sometimes subtly intertwined throughout (from ‘Candle in the Wind’ we only hear the chords) because they are incorporated in the story in the right way, not necessarily chronologically but in line with the emotions of John (or possibly one of the other characters) , the lyrics come in firmly. Even when they are performed in a campy setting. Remarkable: Egerton sings all the songs himself and does so more than creditably. Incidentally, that applies to his entire performance: he has the mimicry, tone, attitude of Elton John has mastered himself perfectly and knows how to win us over without any effort. He also makes us look right through all those – incidentally beautifully designed by Julian Day – exuberant costumes, crazy glasses and impossible headgear to the man behind them, who struggles with loneliness, a chronic lack of love, his sexuality, his fame, his addictions and his identity. The scene in which the now-arrived Elton pays a visit to his father is especially painful. When he sees how warmly Stanley treats the children from his second marriage, you see his heart break. And ours breaks at that moment too.

And what a wonderful role by Jamie Bell as John’s loyal supporter Bernie Taupin. In the selfish world that John surrounds himself with, he is honesty itself. Someone who also allows him the space to come to the conclusion that he has made the wrong choices, who forgives his mistakes and who respects and values ​​him in all respects. We would all like a friend like that! The acting is excellent across the board. A film like this allows the performances to be a bit over the top here and there (Howard, Graham), it just fits. Elton John himself is also over the top, at least once he takes the podium. The British singer himself, like his husband David Furnish, is involved in the film as a producer, so is undoubtedly satisfied with the end product. So are we. To make the comparison with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ once again: unlike that film, ‘Rocketman’ is far from conventional, dares to deviate from the beaten track and makes more inventive use of the music and lyrics of the direct object. Exuberance, a solid dose of drama; it belongs to Elton John and therefore also in this very entertaining film. It’s fuss, but functional fuss, which contributes in a respectful way to mapping the complex figure that John is.