Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have really wanted to see Sacha Baron Cohen play Freddie

27 replies

user8558 · 31/05/2020 09:28

I mean obviously Rami Malek did a fantastic job (really did)

But I was so looking forward to seeing Sacha do it.

And I can't let it go.

Aibu?

OP posts:
LivinLaVidaLoki · 31/05/2020 09:32

Sacha Baron Cohen is Sacha Baron Cohen in everything he is in. A lot of "Freddie" that Rami Malek bought to the movie would have been completely lost.

ChazP · 31/05/2020 09:38

YANBU, but for me I’m most irritated by the totally made up narrative in the film and the fact that people who don’t know much about Queen think it’s accurate.
I thought Malek was amazing as Freddie, but I wanted to see the less watered-down version that Baron Cohen was going to make....and the one where Brian May and Roger Taylor didn’t change the story to present themselves as the heroes...!

TheHighestSardine · 31/05/2020 09:41

Yes.

I wanted to see Kraftwerk, but Florian Schneider died.

GrumpyHoonMain · 31/05/2020 09:57

A lot of Indian fans wanted Ranveer Singh to play him - which could have been amazing.

june2007 · 31/05/2020 09:59

The guy who did was great.

PolaDeVeboise · 31/05/2020 10:02

Agree. I was gutted when he quit, I thought he'd have been perfect. I wasn't a big fan of the Rami Malek portrayal, I just felt he was ''acting' Freddie, not 'being' IYSWIM.

TheWernethWife · 31/05/2020 10:03

I was irritated by the representation of Freddie, they couldn't even get the shape of his teeth right. Rami Malek was just a guy with big teeth.

Standupthisisnotateaparty · 31/05/2020 10:08

Brian May and Roger Taylor didn’t change the story to present themselves as the heroes...!

I know jack shit about Queen but this was so obvious. They were just so mellow, kind and understanding I called bullshit on that straightaway.
I think everyone agreed Rami was amazing but the story was bullshit.

Mrsjayy · 31/05/2020 10:08

I think SBC would have been terrible all I would have seen was Borat, I read he wanted to have input on the story and make it "grittier" which I don't think queen wanted.

Emilyismyfavourite · 31/05/2020 10:14

My DH says the same thing, he had even said several years earlier if they ever made a film about Freddie that Sacha Baron Cohen could play him. We still thought Rami Malek was great in it though.

StillCoughingandLaughing · 31/05/2020 10:38

Wasn’t the story that he quit because Taylor and May made a big thing of Freddie Mercury’s death being ‘this amazing moment halfway through the film’?

Mrsjayy · 31/05/2020 16:35

I think. There was so. Many he said they said Roger Taylor said in an article. That SBC wanted the coke parties with dwarves etc to be included so who knows.

Flamingolingo · 31/05/2020 16:38

I think the Elton John film (Rocketman) was so much better because it wasn’t sanitised. I’m not even an Elton fan, but I found the film more enjoyable

Stripesgalore · 31/05/2020 16:47

I far preferred the Queen one. Rocket man put me off Elton John. It made him seem like a completely unself aware narcissist.

managedmis · 31/05/2020 16:48

I agree, op. He would have been amazing. He even looks like him.

Millicent10 · 31/05/2020 16:55

I thought RM was very good but I was disappointed in the film. I would have loved to see more about Freddie’s childhood and family life, he really downplayed his heritage and I would like to know why. I don’t think that SB-C would have added anything personally.

Winnipegdreamer · 31/05/2020 16:59

I think the whole storyline needed to be more gritty and less polished but I did genuinely love the film.

Wasn’t a fan of rocketman at all.

Mrsjayy · 31/05/2020 17:20

I think Elton is an unself aware narcissist he is a bit of a plonker Grin

DrManhattan · 31/05/2020 17:24

But isnt he really tall? I would have found that distracting

Whitney168 · 31/05/2020 17:27

I didn't think Malek anywhere near as fabulous as the critics did - very good when 'in character' but falling in and out dreadfully. Wouldn't have got the Oscar vote from me (not that he'd care LOL).

TheVanguardSix · 31/05/2020 17:36

Oh I'm with you all the way, OP. I can't let it go either! Not that Rami Malek wasn't great. But I think if you've grown up with Queen/Freddie Mercury, the expectations are fairly high, film wise! Sacha Baron Cohen would have been perfect. They blew it really, with all due respect to the very talented and dedicated Rami Malek. The film lacked authenticity.

They were just so mellow, kind and understanding I called bullshit on that straightaway. This really got on my nerves throughout the film. I wanted to watch a raw film about an iconic band, not Boy Scout Story. It was all a bit nauseating.

MoonriseKingdom · 31/05/2020 17:37

I loved the Rami Malek film but it was clearly the Queen film and very sanitised, particularly the portrayal of the original members. I enjoyed it as a celebration of the music and the legendary Live Aid performance.

I think there would be an amazing film about Freddie to be made with Sacha BC but I don’t think Queen would let that happen. I thought Rocketman was excellent and seemed much more honest.

TheVanguardSix · 31/05/2020 17:41

Rocket man put me off Elton John. It made him seem like a completely unself aware narcissist.

Oh he is! He's such a diva. He did make a film about himself called Tantums and Tiaras. Says it all. And he was a total cokehead asshole for years. He's been open about that and I appreciate his transparency about who he is: a spoiled brat, but a supremely talented one. But yep, perfectly said above: he is a plonker. Grin

But for Yellow Brick Road, he is forgiven of all sin. Grin Still, I have no interest in seeing Rocket Man.

augustusglupe · 31/05/2020 17:42

For a start physically SBC is nothing like Freddie, apart from the dark hair.
Rami Malek just morphed into him. Me and DH must’ve watched that film about 15 times and we never tire of it.

heartsonacake · 31/05/2020 17:43

YABU. Sacha Baron Cohen is an awful actor and I wouldn’t have watched the film if he’d been in it.

Rami Malek was amazing.