Critics seem to have taken against Bohemian Rhapsody with curious animosity. It’s not the film’s fault per se – directed in hodgepodge by both Bryan Singer and Dexter Fletcher, this is pretty inoffensive entertainment – but because it replaced a potentially more interesting take on the Queen story. When Sacha Baron Cohen was subbed for Rami Malek, in the role of lead singer Freddie Mercury, the project became much safer. If you’re after dramatic depth, you’ll be disappointed; if you’re happy with slightly sanitised fun, this will, indeed, rock you.
Not ten years into her career, Amandla Stenberg boasts a remarkable oeuvre. Having shot to fame in Gary Ross’ inaugural Hunger Games, the young star has already accumulated a string of leading roles, an NAACP nomination and Beyoncé music video appearance. In The Hate U Give, Stenberg offers those unfamiliar with her work a chance to understand her stratospheric rise. This is a powerful performance from a premiere talent. It helps, of course, that the film is terrific.
Imagine a heist film in which the heist itself was conceived almost as an afterthought. That’s not a criticism, mind. No, it is a key selling point for Steve McQueen’s powerful new drama, his first since 2013’s Oscar dominating 12 Years a Slave. Widows is essentially light-hearted by comparison to that tale of slavery but still packs a powerful punch. As for genre, it matters little; in McQueen’s own words: ‘it’s all about the story.’
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