The movie has been a runaway success with fans and roared past $740million at the global box office. Many critics, however, were less enamoured of the rock biopic, accusing it of avoiding the more difficult aspects of Freddie’s life. Who is right? After Bohemian Rhapsody scooped Best Film- Drama at the Golden Globes, Queen icon May said critics made a fundamental mistake and were then too proud to admit they were wrong.
Much of the controversy stems from the original split with former leading man Sacha Baron Cohen.
It was widely reported that Cohen had left the project because May and the filmmakers were not willing to address the darker side of Freddie’s life. May already publicly called Cohen an “ar**’ and disputed his account of the situation.
Rami Malek has also explained how the finished movie was always intended as a celebration of the music and Freddie’s unique spirit. malek’s performance has been universally praised and his Golden Globes Best Actor gong has made him hot favourite for this years Oscars.
Malek told Film Four: “There’s, of course, a gratuitous, illicit, hedonistic side to this film you could go down, but you want to hint at that so you can live in the joy of what this band means to so many people.
“When you hear Queen there is a smile on your face whatever the song is… So why not celebrate the band who made that song?”
At the backstage celebrations following the Golden Globes wins, May directly addressed the issue of poor reviews and criticism from the critics.
May said: “The mistake that critics made was reviewing the trailer instead of reviewing the film. They jumped to conclusions.
“Once people stake their claim, it’s hard for them to withdraw.”
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY IS OUT NOW