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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 28 May 2019
Egerton glitters in glossy, conventional ‘Rocketman’

By JAKE COYLE Almost slavishly sealed ness. On the whole, this is
Associated Press within the hermetic bubble a more-or-less true, autho-
Whatever you say about of the rock biopic, “Rocket- rized account (John is an
Dexter Fletcher’s glossy, man” will, justifiably, draw executive producer), but
glittering Elton John plenty of comparisons to one that frequently breaks
blinged-out biopic “Rock- its opening act: last year’s free of stubborn things like
etman ,” a shiny sequin of Freddie Mercury tale “Bo- chronology and gravity. In
a movie, it doesn’t lack for hemian Rhapsody.” They’re one scene, John — whom
sparkle. Like its flamboyant both about larger-than-life rock critic Robert Christ-
subject, it’s a movie outfit- figures, each gay icons, gau once referred to as a
ted to the nines in dazzle with a preternatural talent “one-man zeitgeist” — him-
and verve, even if it’s got- for hooks and spectacle. self rockets from an arena
ten all dressed up with no- Fletcher also helped steer stage into the night sky
where to go but the most “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and explodes as a firework.
conventional places. subbing for the departed “Rocketman” has every fi-
ber of its being committed
to burnishing the legend of
Sir Elton: literally an explod-
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Taron Egerton ing star.
as Elton John in a scene from “Rocketman.” “Where there was dark-
Associated Press ness, there is now you, Elton
Bryan Singer. The two mov- depiction of its star’s ho- John,” the devilish Reid tells
ies even share a villain in mosexuality and, most dra- him, shortly before John
music manager John Reid matically, in casting John’s becomes an $87 million-a-
(Aiden Gillen in “Bohemian life across a fantastical mu- year industry.
Rhapsody,” Richard Mad- sical tapestry. It’s also quite Working from a script by
den here). definitely a better movie Lee Hall, Fletcher zooms
And Elton, like Freddie, — although one still stuffed through John’s life, finding
churned out unassailable, to the gills with clichés and trap doors in his past that
everlasting earworms sung heavily dependent on the fall into lavish song-and-
round the world. Favor- sheer toe-tap-ability of its dance routines. There’s
ing melody over meaning, star’s extensive back cata- some “Rocket Man” on a
the uplifting music of both log and its lead performer. toy piano as a toddler and
comes big-screen ready. Here, that’s Taron Egerton, a “Saturday Night’s Alright
Their songs were movies, in who doesn’t especially for Fighting” at a carnival,
Technicolor. Just as “Bohe- look like John or sound for a reason that eluded
mian Rhapsody” can glide like John, but he gives a me. The next song is rarely
over the origins of “Scara- star-making performance more than a few minutes
mouche,” we need no in- built on charisma and will. away. Frequently, “Rocket-
vestigations into why that Egerton gives it his all, and man” feels like an ad for a
dancer was so tiny. if there’s one quality that’s jukebox Broadway musical.
“Rocketman” deviates in most essential in an Elton This is a movie yearning for
its rating (R), its less hesitant John movie, it’s spirited- the stage.q
Justin Townes Earle sings the blues

on fine album

By STEVEN WINE ly lament “Talking to My-
Associated Press self”). But not everything
Justin Townes Earle, “The is a downer — “Mornings
Saint of Lost Causes” (New in Memphis” finds beauty
West) Justin Townes Earle is in the moment, and “Say
feeling bad, and his music Baby” is a spirited two-
has never been better. chord come-on. Earle’s
On “The Saint of Lost backstory includes a no-
Causes,” Earle inhabits a madic youth, delinquency
range of doleful, down- and addiction, and he
cast characters who span convincingly fills the roles
our troubled land, from This cover image released by he has created. He’s in fine
the cop killer on “Appala- New West Records shows “The voice, with a mix of verve
chian Nightmare” to the Saint of Lost Causes,” by Justin and vulnerability and the
teen trying to escape bleak Townes Earle. phrasing of a great story-
circumstances on “Over Associated Press teller. The excellent sup-
Alameda.” There’s also a blues shuffle (“Ain’t Got porting cast is led by bassist
considerable range to the No Money”) and 12-bar Adam Bednarik, who co-
music, but it all comes from swing (“Pacific Northwest- produced with Earle, and
the same wellspring. Earle ern Blues”). guitarist Joe V. McMahan.
does country blues (“Don’t The titles tell the tale, and The state of the union is not
Drink the Water”), jump there’s pain from start (the pretty, but it has inspired
blues (“Flint City Shake It”), title cut) to finish (the lone- Earle’s best album.q