Rocketman: Hold Me Closer Tony Danza*

I love Tiny Dancer, and that's about all the Elton John knowledge I possess. In the spirit of full transparency, I'll even confess that I had no idea "Your Song" wasn't an original song from Moulin Rouge until years later when I heard Elton John's original version (when I sing it, I still sing it like Ewan McGregor, I'm so sorry Elton). So when I headed to the theater to see Rocketman, a musical biopic about Elton John, I fully expected to be a little bit lost and not very invested in the subject matter. Boy was I glad to be proven wrong.

Taron Egerton plays Elton John and he is fantastic. I had no idea he was such a gifted actor and singer, as my only prior reference point was his work in Kingsman: The Secret Circle, but he gives everything he's got to this performance and it is brilliant. He might be wearing the most outlandish outfits, but the humanity of the underlying man is always front and center, and he never lets you lose a single emotional beat because you're distracted by his sparkly spectacles or gilded sneakers. That being said, kudos to the costume designer, Julian Day - he had plenty of material to work with, of course, but he does a wonderful job of recreating every element of Elton's look in loving detail.

The story begins with Elton walking into a rehab facility and then heads right back to his childhood to tell the story of the events leading up to this moment of reckoning. This movie is a full-on musical since every aspect of his life can be narrated through an Elton John lyric, so rather than much dialogue, you will get plenty of great singing and choreographed dance numbers that keep things moving briskly. It's a spectacular use of Elton's massive body of work and a wise choice by writer, Lee Hall - after all, what better way to tell Elton's story than through his own songs? Every musical number is innovative and I won't be surprised to see this on Broadway or the West End soon because it was designed for the stage.

The supporting cast includes Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton's mother, Sheila (she does a wonderful English accent and while her face was instantly familiar, I did not realize who she was until I had to look her up for this review), Jamie Bell as Elton's best friend and lyricist Bernie Taupin, and Richard Madden as the villainous John Reid, the music manager who, like all typical managers, uses Elton's talent to make oodles of money while driving him to a loveless, addiction-fueled lifestyle. The relationship between Elton and Bernie is by far the greatest aspect of this film, an epic bromance that I wish more men would emulate. The two are open with their feelings, tell each other they love each other, and Bernie is perhaps the most supportive ally a gay person could hope to have in their life. As much as this is a movie about Elton John, it's essential that Bernie gets his due as the man behind all those amazing lyrics. While he never wanted to be a performer and always let Elton take the spotlight, he is half the reason for these indelible songs.

Rocketman is an engaging musical romp that will absolutely sweep you away. It is extremely dark in places, and I certainly hope Elton's parents are dead because they come off as fairly awful human beings, but we all know the story has a happy ending as he is still alive and touring today. It's a remarkable ode to a remarkable man, and a week later, you'll still find yourself humming I'm Still Standing and wishing you had some sparkly shoes to dance around in.

*The title of this post is a reference to one of my favorite Friends jokes about misquoting the lyrics to Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." I regret nothing.