Elton John biopic "Rocketman"

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Jason Manley, Feb 21, 2019.

  1. crazywater

    crazywater Dangerous Dreamer...

    Location:
    Rolesville, NC
    I love the movie and this is coming from someone who absolutely hated it the first time I saw it. It took me about 4 viewings until I finally warmed up to what they were trying to do. I'll admit there is about a 15-20 minute span during his drug induced spiral downward where I was saying alright already, I get it. But the last 20 minutes or so with his walking out of MSG to the confrontation with everyone during the therapy session to Bernie's visit t to the final I'm Still Standing recreation is just phenomenal. The movie has a lot of great moments and also some moments that fell flat for me but it's mostly a very good movie. It's a crime that it was not even nominated for costume design award or that Taron Egerton did not at least get an acting nomination. I think Elton getting the best original song Oscar was kind of a consolation prize for the movie even though the song was probably the best of the nominated ones anyway.
     
  2. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    Finally saw this...
    Did he say, "Hello, Swindon!"?
     
  3. Steve Litos

    Steve Litos Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    Very good point.
    He always comes across very well in his interviews.

    I recently watched an interview from 1980 on the Phil Donahue show. On the timeline he's in the middle of his addiction period, but comes off as totally in control.

    My review of the film -

    It was "ok". I didn't read any reviews or have any previews before I watched it.

    It did remind me of a Broadway/West End Biopic Musical overall a la "Beautiful (Carol King)" or "Motown The Musical".

    I really enjoyed the new song "I'm Gonna Love Me Again" and felt that it was his best rock n roll song in quite some time.
     
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  4. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    I wish I’d have liked it more than I did. Don’t think I can stomach watching it again. I can’t even feel sympathy for Elton because he was behind this from the start!
     
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  5. Steve Litos

    Steve Litos Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    Technically the movie was very well done, but I could see "I'm Still Standing" as the "big closer" from the start.

    I would probably enjoy this production (and time shifting script) on the stage if I saw it.

    Likewise...uh...I did want to yell "NOT CROCODILE ROCK" during the Troubadour scene. The 3 piece 1970-1 (Elton, Nigel, & Dee) was so great that it was a disservice to use that song. I would have felt a recreation of "Take Me To The Pilot" would have been better.
     
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  6. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Given the bizarre timeline of the movie, you’re lucky Elton didn’t sing Looking Up during the Troubadour scene.:D
     
    Steve Litos likes this.
  7. Andy Smith

    Andy Smith .....Like a good pinch of snuff......

    Still play the soundtrack in the car on a regular basis. It really stands (if you like Elt, that is).
     
    Mkirk likes this.
  8. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Or the Lady Diana tribute.
     
  9. hbbfam

    hbbfam Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chandler,AZ
    I noticed that slip as well. On the other hand we watched this last night. Thought it was very good, and one I wish I had seen on the big screen.
     
  10. lv70smusic

    lv70smusic Senior Member

    Location:
    San Francisco, CA
    I watched the first half of Rocketman last night on Amazon Prime. I'm not sure whether I will finish watching it. I hadn't read much about the film going in (hadn't even looked at this thread before), so I was taken aback by the use of songs during scenes from different time periods. I get that this is not a documentary, but it would seem that most Elton John fans would immediately notice the timeline inaccuracies. For that reason alone, the film failed because one of the common characteristics of successful films is that they draw you into their stories and don't leave you sitting in your chair thinking about what's wrong with what you're watching.

    Apart from that, as a film it just isn't that interesting. The comparison to Mamma Mia is spot on. It's a campy, over-long music video with little depth. The only relationship during the first hour that has some genuineness is between Elton and Bernie, and even that's only evident in a few short scenes. Most of it just seems amateurish and cliche. I'm surprised this script got approved; it's difficult to fault the actors when the material they are given is just so poorly conceived.
     
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  11. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    I FINALLY watched Rocketman while stuck on an American Airlines plane with no Internet.

    It was entertaining. But the flights of fancy (people rising from the floor, etc.) didn't do much for me.

    The bigger problem was the huge liberties they took with the timeline and with the music and when it would actually have come out. I see John Reid breaking up the Kiki Dee tracking session and I'm wondering "did it take until 1976 until he came back?

    Or Elton tracking Victim of Love as he met Renate Blauel, the woman he married

    The story is strong enough as it is, and there's enough strong music from almost every era not to have to pull things from earlier/later. I don't get the point.

    I did like the Elton-in-therapy device that wrapped the film.
     
  12. fitzysbuna

    fitzysbuna Senior Member

    Location:
    Australia
    does anyone here know how much "sweetening" on Taron Egerton voice was ? a lot ? its an interesting soundtrack . the film was ok but was just a bit over the top!
     
  13. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Dude seems to be able to really sing. Plenty of live videos of him out there, like this:

     
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  14. cgw

    cgw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Upstate NY
    I totally think that is the intent. If the movie had done better and if not for covid, it may already have been in production for the stage.
     
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  15. MichaelH

    MichaelH Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    When I finally saw Rocketman on cable last year I couldn't help but think how much better recent films like Bohemian Rhapsody and Blinded By the Light were in comparison. For me for such an exciting person the movie they created out of Elton's life was just so darn boring and completely void of emotion. Even when he's almost drowning at the bottom of the pool it looks so stupid and I can't help not to care. I love Elton but his movie blows.
     
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  16. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    He's Welsh. Of course he can sing!

    Those worrying about timelines and what songs should be played when are missing the point completely. And you are told this right at the start when he is about 12 and playing in the pub.
     
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  17. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    I liked Blinded by the Light. However I would say Rocket Man is way ahead of the pedestrian Bohemian Rhapsody, which has much worse contrived moments. I found Rocket Man a visual joy and a pretty original telling of a well known story.
     
  18. brucewayneofgotham

    brucewayneofgotham Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bunkville
    They really dropped the ball, this could have been huge...
     
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  19. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    Most films are in production long before their release dates. Bohemian was released on the fall of 2018, Rocketman spring of 2019 but was in the early stages as far back as 2013 and principal photography Aug 2018.
     
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  20. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    Finally got around to seeing this last week and really enjoyed it. Taron Egerton did an amazing job as Elton, both with humor and dramatics, as well as the stage persona and singing. He sings really well and could easily be Elton tribute artists. He specifically nailed the faces Elton made while performing and his walk and run. I'm convinced the Bohemian Rapsody/Rami Malek hangover prevented the Oscar nomination, but he did receive nominations from the British Academy of Film and Televison (BAFTA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and won the Musical or Comedy categories for the Golden Globes and Satellites. It was Joaquin Phoenix year with Joker, which for me was more about career achievement by all awards bodies. His Joker is just Joaquin. Ironically his best performance for me was as Johnny Cash in the biopic Walk the Line, where similarity, as Phoenix did in 2019, Philip Seymour Hoffman was winning everything, but Phoenix that year as Cash did also win, like Egerton, the Golden Globe for Musical or Comedy
     
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  21. 80steen

    80steen John McClane

    Location:
    West Virginia
    Egerton was sensational, and the categories he won for the Golden Globe and Satellite he beat Leonardo DiCaprio both times who ended up with nominations from groups Egerton wasn't nominated for, Oscars and Critics Choice, as well as others Egerton too was nominated for, as you mentioned, SAG and BAFTA.

    Egerton also won the Globe over Eddie Murphy who had a Critics Choice nomination.

    Egerton was throughly screwed by the Oscars with the nomination snub and for me he should have won SAG or BAFTA or both.

    I agree he was better than Phoenix for Joker which I watched once and found quite boring.
     
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