Deep Inside ROCKETMAN

Posted on July 3, 2019

from left: Jamie Bell (Bernie)and Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

My Angel, my gift is my song,

Written by

Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

Bernie (Jamie Bell): Neil Diamond is at the bar he’s talking to Leon Russell and half the fucking Beach Boys! Huuh?? –He expects his friend to be impressed but gets a different reaction. Instead he hears the panic in Elton’s voice who suddenly locks himself inside a men’s room cubicle.

Troubadour in the 70s was where the greatest names of rock were discovered.

Elton (Taron Egerton): You’re a shit Bernie! Bernie: Reggie? I think you’re over reacting. Elton: No Bernie! You are under reacting they are the geniuses of American music I can’t go out there in front of that lot! Bernie: Ok! Ok! We’ll tell Doug to refund everyone’s ticket we’ll send everyone home…Hey Ray. Ray (Charlie Rowe): Where is he??!! You signed a contract! Dick’s paid your fucking airfare now get out there and play you little twat! –After a few tense moments Elton unlocks the door and emerges. Elton: Well come on then. Doug: Now Ladies and Gentlemen a rising star in rock and roll. Please welcome all the way from London England…Elton John!!!

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Everyone knows Elton John from all of his iconic ballads: DANIEL, YOUR SONG, CANDLE IN THE WIND. Millennials identify him with his work on LION KING and rightly so which has earned countless awards apart from the source of memorable hits from an animated movie soundtrack to a live musical and now the upcoming 3D remake from Disney. But ROCKETMAN delves deep into his musical roots that even older fans (such as myself), didn’t know he had.

Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. Photo from official fb https://www.facebook.com/rocketmanmovie/

That’s the wonder and beauty that a movie is able to do, help viewers travel through time, when and where it all began for this musical genius and icon we know as Elton John. ROCKETMAN transports us in the best way possible revealing how and why he wrote the songs.

Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Philippine Airlines Reconfigured Airbus A330 Cabin Walkthrough

Elvis & THE BEATLES

As a young music prodigy who earned a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, he was much more fascinated with Elvis Presley. Any young person in the 1950s was but if you do listen closely now you could hear the influence. And how Elvis wore sequins and costumes, Elton took that to another level too.

Center: Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Even THE BEATLES, specifically John Lennon was the real source of his last name. There’s also an intriguing movie coming out entitled YESTERDAY, where a young aspiring songwriter gets transported to a dimension or version of earth that has never heard of THE BEATLES. In this alternate universe he becomes the biggest rock star singing and performing YESTERDAY, LOVE ME DO, HARD DAY’S NIGHT as his own work.

Axe Recommends: Pinto Art Museum

In ROCKETMAN, there’s an element of chance or even destiny if you will in A LOT of what has become legendary decisions. One discovers, almost none of it was planned. Even how, Bernie Taupin (as lyricist) was assigned. Wanabe Record exec Ray Williams was merely leafing through a stack of envelopes of lyric contributions not even reading the names and hands one to Elton. Their partnership arguably became the most successful lyricist-composer duo of the past four decades.

from left: Jamie Bell (Bernie) and Taron Egerton (Elton). Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. Photo from official fb https://www.facebook.com/rocketmanmovie/

BOHEMIAN or Not

QUEEN knows they hit the big time after they receive a call from John Reid asking for a meeting. Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) excitedly says, “He’s the agent who handles Elton John!!” Comparisons with Oscar winning film BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY are unavoidable because they even contain the same legendary figures in rock such as agent John Reid.

from left: Taron Egerton (Elton) and Richard Madden (John Reid); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

There’s a HUGE difference between how the agent is portrayed because John Reid actually became the lover of Elton John. The relationship was far more personal and definitely a deeper connection going beyond that of a professional agent. There’s far more complication and emotion here as far as Reid is concerned.

GOT sex

The actors who played John Reid are Aiden Gillen (BOHEMIAN) and Richard Madden (ROCKETMAN). Both of them are from Game of Thrones with Madden as Robb Stark. Aiden Gillen as Little Finger was the more treacherous, beguiling role. There’s no doubt, however, its Madden’s raw sexuality that wins out. Even in GOT his sex scene with Talisa (Oona Chaplin) became one of the hottest and most memorable from the series.

Richard Madden (John Reid); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Little Finger’s tryst with Lysa Arrin (Kate Dickie) was de emphasized by cutting to interior shots and her screams of pleasure echoing in the castle. As if the director was saying its enough torture that we just hear you and not actually see you doing it. Even the scene where he was trying to seduce Sansa (Sophie Turner) was blood curdling, like an old perv leering at a teen. Sophie earned a lead role as Jean Grey in DARK PHOENIX.

Here in ROCKETMAN there may have been a conscious effort at showing the male charisma of John Reid during the time. Especially since there were a lot of gay sex, possibly the most gratuitous in a blockbuster movie such as this. You can’t find a longer lasting and passionate male-to-male kissing scene. It took someone like Richard Madden for audiences to understand how Elton would fall under his spell.

Taron Egerton’s Vocals

IF there’s one area that Taron Egerton beats Rami Malek’s Oscar winning performance, it’s in the vocals. There seems to be a lot more songs that musical director Matthew Margeson and legendary music producer Giles Martin relies on Egerton’s voice. One may argue that it would have been impossible for any singer let alone an actor to emulate the most operatic and powerful vocal in rock history: Freddie Mercury. Still, the faith in Egerton’s vocal skills came out very successfully.

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. Photo from official fb https://www.facebook.com/rocketmanmovie/

Taron was able to portray the emotion in Elton’s songs especially when it’s just him and the piano. There’s vulnerability in Taron’s interpretations. Giles said, ‘I had Taron sing TINY DANCER in a sort of inward way’. This isn’t a small achievement considering most fans know him from the action genre like KINGSMAN THE GOLDEN CIRCLE. That was the film that he got to work with Elton John for the first time. Their bond as co actors from it obviously helped in his touching performance here.

RED CARPET is the newly designed movie theaters of Shang Rila Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong. It takes viewing and sound experience to a new level. Photo by Jude Bautista

RED CARPET

Having perfect sound is vital to the experience of ROCKETMAN. When you’re talking about hearing the emotion in the voice of Taron Egerton, there’s a lot that goes into that.

from right: Jamie Bell (Bernie), Taron Egerton (Elton), Gemma Jones (Ivy) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Sheila). Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

RED CARPET is the newly designed and renovated cinemas in Shang Rila Plaza Mall. From the carpet to the walls, materials dampen sound and the shape of the cinema is ideal for it as well. It feels like you’re in the same room where Elton composes, sings YOUR SONG for the very first time. Other cinemas have concrete floors and walls that reverberate, which can detract from the overall experience. The new leather seating that allows you to recline also add another level of comfort.

Comfortable Leather seats you can recline like Business class seats in Phil. Airlines at RED CARPET Cinema, Shang Rila Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong. Photo by Jude Bautista

Addictions

“I know how this goes. My name is Elton Hercules John. And I’m an alcoholic and a cocaine addict and a sex addict and a bulimic also a shopoholic who has problems with weed, prescription drugs and anger management.”

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. (16)

That was the very first line in the movie, indicating how the story embraced everything in Elton John’s life including his tragedies, failures, addictions, as well as his successes. Not mentioned in this line is his addiction to gay porn, the title of this article is a nod to that particular addiction.

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Something to think about for us Filipinos, Elton John would have become a victim of summary execution here in the current time for his addictions. If so, the world would have lost countless more hit songs and albums (including the LION KING soundtrack). He has since then been rehabilitated for his drug addiction. But is still a shopaholic.

from left: Tom Bennett (Fred), Bryce Dallas Howard (Sheila) and Gemma Jones (Ivy). Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Creatively Rewarding

They didn’t hold anything back. The story helps us get an insight in the contributing factors why he turned to alcohol and drugs. From his childhood we see how a very cold, distant father affected him. His mother Sheila played by buxom Bryce Dallas Howard was also very critical. The only real nurturing figure in his life was his grandmother Ivy (Gemma Jones). We see parents shape the experiences and needs of their child even towards their adulthood. There was constant search for paternal love.

Bryce Dallas Howard (Sheila); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

There was nothing in Elton’s life that was off limits. The only drawback was that the story excluded Elton’s friendship with Princess Diana and his marriage to husband David Furnish of 25 years. Maybe it was more due to time constraints than anything else. Otherwise it was an extremely well written and compelling story and screenplay by Lee Hall.

from left: David Furnish and Elton John. Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. Photo from official fb https://www.facebook.com/rocketmanmovie/

Director Dexter Fletcher was able to bring it all together. The use of music to literally push the story forward was brilliant. Certain songs were able to effectively hasten scenes: BITCH IS BACK, SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT, even Elvis’ BLUE SUEDE SHOES. Then Music producer Giles Martin’s creativity with Elton’s large catalogue of songs, in using different instrumentals and arrangements elevates the film. Egerton, the whole production, can look back on their work here as possibly the most creatively rewarding.

(21)

WordPress:

http://judebsports.wordpress.com/ , http://judebfood.wordpress.com/ , http://judebphoto.wordpress.com/ , http://judebgallery.wordpress.com/ , /

From left: Taron Egerton (Elton) and Jason Pennycooke (Wilson). Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Jamie Bell (Bernie); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. (24)

tumblr:

http://judebautista.tumblr.com/

from left: Bryce Dallas Howard (Sheila) and Gemma Jones (Ivy). Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.(27)

flickr:

From left: Stephen Graham (Dick James) and Charlie Rowe (Ray). Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. (30)

http://judebautista.tumblr.com/

from left: Taron Egerton (Elton), Bryce Dallas Howard (Sheila) and Richard Madden (John Reid). Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

WordPress:

http://judebsports.wordpress.com/ , http://judebfood.wordpress.com/ , http://judebphoto.wordpress.com/ , http://judebgallery.wordpress.com/ , /

Richard Madden (John Reid); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

WordPress:

http://judebsports.wordpress.com/ , http://judebfood.wordpress.com/ , http://judebphoto.wordpress.com/ , http://judebgallery.wordpress.com/ , /

Jamie Bell (Bernie); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. (39)

tumblr:

http://judebautista.tumblr.com/

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. (42)

flickr:

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. (43)

http://judebautista.tumblr.com/

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD.

Taron Egerton (Elton); Catch ROCKETMAN in RED CARPET of Shang Plaza Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Eastwood City Mall, Resort’s World Manila Cinemas and ROBINSONS CINEMA WORLD. (47) Photo from official fb https://www.facebook.com/rocketmanmovie/

WordPress:

http://judebsports.wordpress.com/ , http://judebfood.wordpress.com/ , http://judebphoto.wordpress.com/ , http://judebgallery.wordpress.com/ , /