There's quite a few similarities between this and Freddie Mercury's bio. It's a superb and beautifully constructed picture about a man who made a difference. 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!
It's gives you a wonderful authentic feel of the era - you're enveloped completely into the atmosphere of the early sixties. You feel like you're there, so much so that you actually start to think the way people did back then. You're then suddenly shocked out of your comfort with yourself as you realise 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 victimisation, you're angry with yourself for being 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 theatre to the proceedings and this idea works really well. It's acted well, the guys playing The Beatles and Darci Shaw's lovely Cilla aren't clichéd or overpowering but complement the story perfectly.
