The film kicks off with a look at Elton's childhood, then known as Reginald Dwight (played by Matthew Illesley, Kit Connor and finally Taron Egerton), saddled with a distant father (both emotionally and literally as he was often stationed away from home), and an emotionally cold mother (played by Bryce Dallas Howard). The best support he gets as a child is from his Grandmother (played by Gemma Jones). When Elton begins to show a prodigious talent for music and the piano in particular, able to re-play music after just hearing it once, it's his Grandmother that supports him the most, which leads him to a scholarship to the Royal Music Academy. When his parents eventually divorce, Elton finds another positive influence in his life, his eventual step-dad Fred (played by Tom Bennett), who introduces young Reginald to rock and roll music and encourages his musical ambitions as well. It's during the time that Reginald begins playing with a band, Bluesology, that he starts to figure out what he wants to do, including coming up with a stage name Elton John. It's the moment that he meets Bernie Taupin (played by Jamie Bell) that things really begin to change as they develop a fantastic partnership that continues today with Bernie writing the lyrics to all the songs as Elton writes the music. The two develop a music writing partnership that becomes the through-line of the entire film as Elton's career takes off like, well, a rocket, engages in a rollercoaster of a love affair with John Reid (played by Richard Madden), and battles substance abuse problems.
Dexter Fletcher directed the film from a script by Lee Hall who both play with the genre of the Music Biopic in really interesting ways with this film. It hits the usual touchstones of this type of film, but yet does it in a way that is a bit more unconventional. For starters, the movie is a full blown musical fantasy, with the songs used not so much in their chronological order but for hitting the right emotional notes. Which means we have kid Elton singing "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" in a massive musical number that transitions from a pub fight to a full blown dance number at a carnival, transitioning from kid Elton to late teens Elton, ushering Taron Egerton into the picture in the process. You also have Elton and his parents breaking out into "I Want Love," a song that wasn't released until his 2001 album, Songs From the West Coast. The film also has it's share of fantastical elements such as Elton playing the Troubadour for the first time in a performance that was so energetic and exciting people described made them feel as though they could levitate to in the film Elton and the audience literally levitating. Another one would be Elton at his lowest point singing a duet with his younger self on the bottom of his pool. Yet, within all of this, the film is a searingly honest portrait of Elton's life. The film does not shy away from his troubled childhood, his sexuality, his relationship with John Reid and his substance abuse problems. The film's narrative is framed by Elton in a group therapy session in rehab, which in another of the film's fantastical flourishes, he enters in a garish orange and red devil outfit that is slowly discarded as the film goes on until he's laid bare and is sitting there in a plain, brown bathrobe. It's a terrific visual choice that really gives a cue to Elton dropping his defenses and opening up. I also have to give props to the costuming folks on this film for their flawless recreations of many of Elton's most famous outfits, including my favorite: the sequin Dodgers uniform from his legendary Dodger stadium concert.
There was a whole brew-ha-ha earlier this year when word got out that Paramount was wanting to edit the film down to get a PG-13 rating and honestly, I have to say I am so glad the filmmakers won that battle and got to release the film they wanted because a scrubbed clean version of Elton John's life would not have resonated nearly as well as this film does as it does not shy away from the darker elements of his life, as Elton himself quipped, "I have not led a PG-13 life." There is an honesty to this film that adds a real poignancy that transcends all the spectacle to become genuinely moving. That is not to say the film is gratuitous as it is far from it, but at the same time it doesn't shy away from some of the darker times either.
Taron Egerton gives the performance of his career (at least thus far) as Elton John. He manages to channel Elton throughout the film perfectly giving the performance all the energy and emotion that it requires. Along with that, he does all of the singing throughout the film, giving his all to every song with an impressive gusto that even impressed Sir Elton himself. He give it his all and never shies away from some of the uglier moments of Elton's life (the man was famous for his tantrums after all). But the lowest of lows make the highs feel all the more triumphant, especially once we get to them to the point where he literally walks away from it all and checks himself into rehab and I for one wanted to stand up and cheer. Jamie Bell is equally great as Bernie Taupin, who plays of Egerton really well and you believe these two would be long time friends even from their first meeting, bonding over their shared love of Country Western music. Bell does well showing Bernie as a steady rock in the craziness of Elton's life. The two never have fight and the closest they come to it in the film is Elton biting Bernie's head off before going on stage and even then he turns around and immediately apologizes. In a lot of ways, their relationship is the true love story of the film even though it was always strictly platonic, but both have described the other as their brother and both Egerton and Bell put that across beautifully.
Richard Madden's turn as John Reid is the other main man in Elton's life through much of the film, both romantically and as his business manager and is a far more tumultuous relationship as he starts off as a charming guy but as time goes by, his far more manipulative, tempestuous and downright abusive side comes out. Madden does a great job balancing both sides of the role and it's easy to see why Elton fell for him. Bryce Dallas Howard likewise gives a fantastic performance as Elton's rather cold and distant mother who does a great job of portraying the complicated relationship between her and Elton. It was a tricky role to play but she pulls it off really well. Gemma Jones is great as Elton's loving grandmother Ivy, and she gives the character a real sense of warmth and genuine support that was otherwise missing from Elton's life.
It's easy to want to compare Rocketman with last year's Bohemian Rhapsody, not the least because there is some overlap between the two as John Reid figures into both films, although he is curiously portrayed much warmer in the latter film than here (although this film is very much from Elton's perspective, as Elton was a producer on the film, and their split was far from amicable as Elton did wind up taking him to court, so that likely plays into his depiction here). But more than that, there is a difference in how the films were approached. Between the two, this is by far the more satisfying film and the film that Bohemiam Rhapsody should have been. It was honest and poignant as it really delved into the warts and all look at the life of Elton John. To illustrate further, I walked out of Bohemian Rhapsody thinking it was a reasonably entertaining film. I walked out of Rocketman really wanting to give Elton John a hug. That should say it all right there.
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