Because it's Pride Month and Rocketman is new to streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime, this week's Almost There subject is Taron Egerton in Dexter Fletcher's Elton John biopic. In the most recent awards season, this Welsh actor probably came quite close to an Oscar nomination, both thanks to his performance as well as his aggressive campaigning. The nature of his role helped too, of course. Biopic roles are, literally, the Academy's favorite flavor of Oscar bait. Still, in the year after Bohemian Rhapsody's controversial victories, Rocketman had to content itself with a Best Original Song win. As for Egerton, he got Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG nods, but failed to secure the Oscar nomination, ending up just outside the Best Actor lineup…
Before discussing any element of Taron Egerton's performance as Elton John we should understand what sort of approach Rocketman takes to the challenge of documenting life on film. Structurally, the movie is a very conventional biopic, using the framing device of rehab to tell the story of its protagonist's rise to fame and subsequent fall from grace. Like many a rock biopic, its beats are predictable and perfunctory, from the prodigiousness of Elton as a child to his problems with addiction after becoming a multi-millionaire sensation. What makes this project different from other similar productions is how it fuses the classic model of the biopic with the exuberant artifice of the musical.
Far from restricting Elton John's iconic songs to concert scenes or interludes in the recording studio, Dexter Fletcher devised a campy extravaganza out of the singer's life story. From the first glitter-infused images, when Egerton walks towards the camera in a devil costume complete with cock feathered wings and bedazzled horns, Rocketman is firing a shot of unrestrained excess at its audience. Things don't calm down after that, with each musical number being staged in the most earnest way imaginable, with every emotion lived up to the breaking point and every costume covered in as many sequins as possible.
Such a stylistic approach sets the parameters for Taron Egerton's take on Elton John. The famous singer is said to have chosen the young actor himself, a flattering bit of casting that speaks of a glamorous vision of Elton John that is more interested in the legend than the nitty-gritty particulars of reality. In other words, Egerton doesn't look very much like Elton John neither does he sound like him. Other actors may have been bogged down by the desire for chameleonic transformation, but Egerton seems to be aware of what sort of movie he's in. Instead of mimicry, he plays Elton almost as an original character, only rarely indulging in copycat impersonation. It's an impression of the star more than a reflection of the real thing.
For some, that disinterest in biographical exactitude may be infuriating, but Egerton justifies his approach with one hell of a fun performance. Early on, when running through the streets while singing "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)", he's a ball of nervous energy. Character and actor seem to vibrate with the joy of performing, filling even the most stoic spectators with electric giddiness. That consummate showmanship and need to entertain characterize this first act of Egerton's work, before success and the lure of a handsome manager weight down on Elton John.
Egerton's greatest talent when it comes to playing this gay icon is the ability to mix the bravado of a born entertainer with searing vulnerability. He makes that clear from the first therapy scene. In it, he spits out a torrent of self-critique in a way that feels more confrontational than confessional. The sullen pop star is trying to weaponize his candor and pain, but, midway through the rant, he loses control over the situation. The words start to explode on his face and die on his throat, and Egerton's cocky smile crumbles into a tense frown. A forceful mask of diva-like control cracks to reveal a bruised soul.
Because of that ease with playing vulnerability, Egerton's best scenes are usually the ones he gets to do alongside Jamie Bell's Bernie Taupin. Throughout their interactions, both men paint a powerful portrait of devoted friendship, one that may be initially tainted by the hurt of unreciprocated yearning but ends up being impossible to break. During one particularly choleric shouting match, when Elton's self-loathing explodes outwards, Egerton and Bell play the dynamic of the two friends perfectly. There's anger and resentment, but, before they can fester into something uglier, the singer changes his tune and asks for his friend's forgiveness.
Such tone shifts when played with automatic lived-in ease tell a tale of many similar interactions happening outside the narrative. Rocketman may be a musical of unashamed fakery, glamour, and glitz, but it's also a spectacle of earnest sentiment. Elton may smile manically for the fans, but we get to witness the labor of that constructed glee. The presentation of these lives is deliberately artificial, which doesn't mean that their emotions aren't real. Rocketman's a lie that tells the truth, a bit of razzle-dazzle that illuminates the depths of its character's souls. Egerton plays this quite well, committing to the performance totally, even though his approach to Elton's fury feels a tad repetitive and in need of further modulation. He's better at singing his heart out than he is at screaming.
Overall, though, this is a very good performance that is significantly better than many similar Oscar-winning works. Still, 2019 wasn't Egerton's year and Antonio Banderas ended up snagging the last Best Actor slot that was up in the air come nomination morning. The Two Popes' Jonathan Pryce may indeed have been vulnerable, but, considering that film's other big nominations, it seems unlikely. If the choice is between Pain and Glory's leading man and Rocketman's prodigious star, I admit to siding with the Academy. The other Best Actor nominees were Joaquin Phoenix for Joker, Leonardo DiCaprio for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and Adam Driver for Marriage Story. Would you kick any of them out to make space for Taron?
Rocketman is available to stream on Hulu, Amazon Prime, DirecTV, and Epiz. You can also rent or buy the movie from Amazon, Youtube, Apple iTunes, and others.