50/18

There's quite a few similarities between this and Freddie Mercury's bio

Scenario

On Thursday 9 November 1961, a man named Brian descended the stairs to a cellar in Liverpool and changed the world forever.. In a similar vein to 2023s Priscilla, Midas man does not use the Beatles music as they were unable to obtain the rights but other songs were used which they were able to obtain the rights for or were already in the public domain.The upcoming Beatles biopic film from Sam Mendes will most likely include Beatles songs however.. It's a superb and beautifully constructed picture about a man who made a difference.

of the early sixties

Indeed it's possible that had there been no Brian Epstein, there might not have been a Freddie Mercury?He might just have been one of those few individuals whose decisions and actions had massive consequences on history. Like SLIDING DOORS, this film shows how profound chance encounters can be. It begins with a record shop manager simply coming across an aspiring rock band and the rest is history – a history he made!

You feel like you're there, so much so that you actually start thinking the way people did back then

You're then suddenly shocked out of your comfort with yourself as you realize that your adopted society is so unfair and hateful to this brilliant man just because he was homosexual. Because it's such an immersive experience, you're not just watching this awful victimization, you're angry with yourself for being a part of that world. It's very cleverly made.Like Rami Malek was in his film, Jacob Fortune Lloyd is very engaging and utterly addictive.

His subconscious feeling that he has disappointed his parents because of his homosexuality is sensitively evoked

Like in the Freddie Mercury film, we see how our hero's insecurities drive his ambition. But although this is one aspect of the film, overall it's quite an upbeat positive experience.The little 'talk to the camera' inserts add a bit of theater to the proceedings and this idea works really well. It's well acted, the guys playing The Beatles and Darci Shaw's lovely Cilla aren't clichéd or overpowering but complement the story perfectly.