Rocketman (2019)
Genre: Biography, Musical
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Jaime Bell, Richard Madden, Gemma Jones, Bryce Dallas Howard, Steven Mackintosh
Duration: 121 minutes
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd
After coming in at the eleventh hour to rescue Bohemian Rhapsody, director Dexter Fletcher debuts his next musically driven biopic in Rocketman.
Based on the life of legendary singer-songwriter Sir Elton John, the film explores the ups and downs in the life of Reginald Dwight, from his humble working class beginnings to the peaks of fame and success he reached as an artist.
Starring Taron Egerton (Kingsman) in the title role, the film also explores John’s long-time friendship and musical partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin (Jaime Bell), who worked with John on over 30 albums, as well as with his manager and lover John Reid (Richard Madden), who for a time also managed the band Queen.
After opening to a standing ovation at Cannes, critics have heaped praise on Rocketman, particularly on the strength of Egerton’s performance and the fantasy and musical sequences.
“Anyone expecting a jukebox musical or Bohemian Rhapsody-esque narrative straight line will be in for something of a surprise as Rocketman bobs and weaves around convention to deliver more of a fantastical musical odyssey, writes Simon Thompson on IGN.
On Taron Egerton, Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair says, “It’s a terrific performance, nuanced and emotionally intelligent while still loose, carried with verve and agility. It’s no wonder Egerton was seen crying as the film was about to premiere here at Cannes: he has poured the fullness of his talent into the job, and it’s yielded at times dazzling results.”
Ratings
IMDB: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Empire: 4 stars
Chrissy Metz puts her faith to the test in Breakthrough.Breakthrough (2019)
Genre: Drama
Director: Roxann Dawson
Starring: Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, Mike Colter
Duration: 90 minutes
Class: 12 A
KRS Releasing Ltd
Inspired by true events, Breakthrough tells the story of the tragic events that befell the Smith family and how they overcame them guided by their Christian faith.
Brian and Joyce Smith live with their adopted son John, who reaching his teens, begins to rebel against his parents.
Ignoring warnings from neighbours, John and his friends walk out onto a frozen lake, where the ice breaks beneath their feet and plunges them underwater.
John is left underwater for 15 minutes and his chances of survival are slim.
However Joyce, emboldened by her faith in God, refuses to accept the dim outcomes of John’s prognosis, and obsessively continues to pray and fight for John’s survival.
Breakthrough has received middling to warm reviews, with critics less enthused about unsubtle thematic elements, but hailing it uplifting nonetheless.
Breakthrough, depending upon your vantage, is either an authentic true-life docudrama (it all really happened!) or a trumped-up fable of mystical kitsch (who are they kidding?), writes Owen Gleiberman for Variety. “Either way, it has the potential to be a solid mid-level hit.”
Ratings
IMDB: 5.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 60%
Empire: N/A