“People don’t pay to see Reginald Dwight, they pay to see Elton John!” » In the sea of ubiquitous biopics that is modern cinema, one film really stood out from the crowd. Dexter Fletcher and Lee Hall Rocket Man is the quintessence of “What Should Elton Do?” ”, as it veers from one multicolored musical explosion to another; While most biographical depictions of a star’s rise (and fall) in the simplest, most accurate manner possible, this is unapologetically a fantasy memoir told from the nostalgic point of view by Elton. And it finally made its way to the live arena in the UK.
The first of two screenings at the Royal Festival Hall in London’s Southbank Center marked its first concert film in this country, a large HD screen hung in the hall as the London Concert Orchestra played – the soundtrack features a host of written hits by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, as well as a score by Matthew Margeson.
Conductor Matt Roberts, concertmaster Jonathan Hill and pianist Ben Dawson all came dressed for the occasion, wearing a shimmering gold jacket, Elton John designer glasses and shiny red shoes respectively. For an event that took place with relatively little fanfare, this was a nice touch – as it involved looking around the audience and spotting die-hard Elton fans in clothing from different brands. These screenings can be expensive, but they are events that enthusiasts can afford.
A wonderful job was done to balance the sound mixing throughout the film; there’s a lot more background music than you might initially notice when watching the film normally, as well as some songs behind the dialogue, and it was handled exceptionally well. The orchestra adjusted the volume accordingly, although the subtitles provided were a good backup.
The Royal Festival Hall proved to be an ideal venue for this type of screening, transporting the music around the room perfectly – at times we almost felt like we had been sucked into the film itself, the sound was so immersive. It was also incredibly (and rightly so) loud. So strong in some numbers that it was like being at a concert, making the Troubadour “Crocodile Rock” stage even more effective than usual; the end credits performance of the Oscar-winning song “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” was also particularly well received by the orchestra and audience.
There’s something of an obsession with adapting films into musicals these days, and of all the films that have received this treatment, it almost seems wrong that this isn’t one of them. The theater is marked everywhere Rocket Man, from its style of big musical numbers and storytelling through songs, to the plethora of regular performers on stage appearing in small roles. Certainly, Elton John has preferred to work on new musical ideas for the stage lately, but this live version of the score just highlighted how well this story would work on stage.
The film itself is one of the most imaginative and original music biopics of recent times, if not more. It feels like the Elton John story could only have been told this way; Rocket Man isn’t afraid to show the darker side of his life, while counteracting it with some silliness and great one-liners (Stephen Graham’s cameo as music publisher Dick James is particularly memorable) . At the heart of the film is an extraordinary performance from Taron Egerton, demonstrating his vocal abilities as well as his acting skills – one can only hope that he can be lured back to the stage for a musical in the not-too-distant future. distant. future.
If you’re an Elton fan or just loved the movie, I can’t recommend this experience enough. The immediacy and dynamism of the music in this setting is so exciting and guaranteed to give you goosebumps from the first notes until the last.
Rocketman: Live in Concert was at the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday April 20 and will be at the Birmingham Symphony Hall on Saturday June 22.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures