Ernest Hemingway said “Write hard and clear about what hurts”,

and that is what Bernie Taupin did for Elton John.

Rocketman the 2019 biographical film is one to add to my anthology, my movie list of all time favourites. A memoir in music and cinematic storytelling of the greatest showman of rock, the piano man Elton John. And I absolutely loved it.

It’s an honest and heartfelt confession of his rise to stardom in the the early seventies, his relationship with lyricist Bernie Taupin played with sensitivity to the story by Jamie Bell to the most stand out performance by Taron Egerton as Elton. A Welsh actor and singer who like Elton, graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts before gaining fame and recognition for his starring roles in Kingsman The Secret service and Kingsman The Golden Circle but it was epic portrayal as Elton John for which he took the BAFTA and the Golden Globe. Many considered him not being nominated for an Oscar in 2020 a snub. Joaquin Phoenix a worthy winner took home the statue for his role as Arthur Fleck in The Joker, a film I’ve seen 4 or 5 times already.

Rocketman is a beautiful film, a visual feast punctuated with the soundtrack of our lives. Elton Johns Your Song I checked was released in 1970 in the US and then 1971 in the UK. It was the first song I remember learning all the words to and has since been dubbed the UK’s favourite song.

Elton’s music tells the story of his turbulent life and meteoric rise to fame and fortune. It’s documented in the film by the age of 25 he was worth a staggering £25 million. And the way the movie is crafted centring on a beautiful friendship between two creative geniuses shows how Bernie told Elton’s story in his lyrics, perhaps why they are still so timeless and relatable today.

I think Elton John when he watches this film where he served as an executive producer he must be filled with pride and joy at his immense achievements not just in music but in raising 450 million for his aids foundation. He produced the film through his company, Rocket Pictures alongside his husband, David Furnish, who acted as a lead producer.

Like any film it is the pure talent of the lead actors, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden as music manager John Reid and the supremely talented Taron Egerton as Elton that make you believe you are watching the man himself share his story.

It is quite weird in a way I am not sure I have ever experienced in to quite the same extent watching a film believing. When I think about the recent film about Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody or films like The Queen starring Helen Mirren or The Iron Lady Meryl Streep all highly acclaimed I didn’t feel the same, like you were actually watching the real person, and it’s not because Taron looks like Elton, he doesn’t, but he managed to manifest his energy somehow throughout the film. It was absolutely magical to watch.

If Elton John has produced the soundtrack to your life, you don’t even have to be a massive fan of the music, Elton’s music has touched most of us by osmosis; this movie is a spectacular musical biopic that tackles the very human issues we all endure everyday, love, loss, greed, addiction and the power we all have to change your way of life.

Watch it and be moved.