Rocketman (2019)

Young Reginald (Matthew Illesley) is raised in a household with a cold indifferent mother (Bryce Dallas Howard in a surpisingly effective performance) and a father (Steven Mackintosh) who ignores him with only a loving grandmother (Gemma Jones) to give him encouragement and affection. When he grows up and becomes the international pop star Elton John (Taron Egerton), he's still that lonely little boy looking for love. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, the good news is that this is far superior to BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. Unlike that film, it doesn't attempt to whitewash the life of its subject. ROCKEMAN presents Elton John's life with warts and all and, in fact, it's often quite brutal. The bad news is that it still can't get out of that musical biopic rut that seems inherent in the genre. The director and screenwriter make a creative attempt to go the extra mile by using John's songs as part of the narrative like a proper musical rather than limiting them to stage performances. Egerton is wonderful as Elton John. I don't think the film will be as popular as BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. The public prefers fantasy to reality. With Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden and Rachel Muldoon as Kiki Dee.