Bohemian Rhapsody - 5 nominations

Best Picture - Graham King
Actor in a Leading Role - Rami Malek
Film Editing - John Ottman
Sound Editing - John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone
Sound Mixing - Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali

"Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball
Don't stop me now, if you wanna have a good time, just give me a call!
Don't stop me now....
Don't stop me cause I'm havin' a good time, havin' a good time..."
- Don't Stop Me Now, Queen

It is the 70's and the young Freddie (soon-to-be) Mercury hooks up with the band to form what was to become a legendary group with songs that came to be known world wide.  Mercury had a voice that could do what most could not, his range was ridiculous and even today, accomplished singers struggle with some of the songs with the very high highs and the very low lows.  Queen's journey from nothing to stardom is a sight to behold, and the film peppered with their truly greatest hits is one of the most fun movie experiences I had this year.  (Full disclosure, I'm a big time Queen fan, having discovered them in college thanks to my friend Craig Stender, who painstakingly sorted through his records to make me an epic mix tape which I still have to this day.)

The movie captures the visionary development of some of our most well known hits - Brian May composing We Will Rock You, Freddie Mercury tinkering with Bohemian Rhapsody and watching the group play with sounds, ideas simple and outrageous play out on screen.  Rami Malek falls deep into the character matching movement to movement with what Freddie Mercury did on stage.  (For about half the movie, you sense that Malek is still getting used to the iconic teeth prosthetic toward the beginning of the film, but he settles into them as the plot progresses.)  Though Malek is getting all the very well deserved attention, worth noting that Gwilym Lee is the reincarnation of Queen guitarist and composer Brian May.  Given that May is still alive, I can only imagine how cool/creepy watching another person inhabit your body must be.

Sound Mixing and Sound Editing categories are generally reserved for (say it with me) war movies, musicals, and movies heavy on visual effects.  But when you layer dialogue, screaming crowds, weather, and lip syncing well, these categories are sure to land on your nominations list.

I was particularly moved by the final scenes of the movie.  Queen's acclaimed and magnificent performance at Live Aid - long after Freddie had been diagnosed with AIDS and they were unclear if his voice would even be able to achieve a shadow of its former glory -  is completely remastered.  I suspect if one were to go on YouTube and put side by side the live performance and the film homage to it, Malek's every gesture would be identical in the split screen.  Though Rami Malek certainly transformed himself throughout the film, it was in this final sequence that I thought, "this guy could win an Oscar."

The movie was good.  It wasn't AMAZING unless you are a die hard Queen fan.  I loved it.  

"I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars
I am a satellite, I'm out of control.
I'm a sex machine ready to reload
Like an atom bomb, I'm gonna go go go go go explode!
I'm burning through the sky, yeah
200 degrees that's why they call me Mr. Farenheit
I'm traveling at the speed of light, I wanna make a super sonic man out of you..."