Rocketman is one of the best music biopics of all time

I had very low expectations for Rocketman, and I was blown away. My expectations were low because I am getting really tired of music biopics. They're almost always the same. It feels like a cash grab. Plus, I thought it was weird to reflect back on the life of a man who is still very much alive and kicking. My mom is a diehard Elton John fan, so I waited for her to see it, and when she told me she loved it, I decided to give it a chance.Many music biopics are scared to be a musical. A lot of people reflexively hate musicals. So they stick to diagetic music, and stick to realism. However, that style makes no sense with a showman like Elton John. It would have been horrible and boring for them to keep it grounded in reality. They used the musical format to elevate the story and enhance the magic of Elton John's music.The movie was definitely not grounded in reality. It was more expressionistic, and not just the use of the music, but the way they told the story. For example, the scene where Elton reunites with his father after he becomes famous, and signs a record for him. He signs it "To Dad" and then his dad asks him to sign it for his co-worker. Elton crosses out "Dad" and writes the co-worker's name. This obviously never happened, and is a really outrageous characterization of his dad's cold obliviousness, but it had a great dramatic effect.That brings me to my final point - why this movie was so successful in the way it told the story. It had this larger than life expressionism, but it was grounded in a universal, familiar story. The story of the talented young man who becomes famous, starts partying too hard, this is such a rote biopic formula, and most of us can't relate! However, the story works because it focused on something very relatable. Elton John just wanted to be loved. The vulnerability of that theme, especially given that the real Elton is alive and with us, was so wholesome and heartwarming. It also played very well with Elton's unique experience as a famous semi-closeted gay man.I loved this movie, I could watch it a million times. If you don't like musicals, you will probably hate it, but that's just a matter of personal taste. I feel very strongly that it was brave, original, and did justice to Elton's amazing life and music. I am now just as big of an Elton John fan as my mom. via /r/movies https://ift.tt/3cj5yjR