Apparently, at one stage, Elton John's music made up 5% of total global record sales. He's an extremely talented artist that has released some exceptional albums, but that is still the craziest part of Rocketman for me. Which is saying something...

It turns out that Elton (aka Reggie) has had quite a life. I guess growing up with him as an ageing musician and one of my Dad's favourite artists has meant that I've never really lumped him in with the rock'n'roll crowd. A bit like Paul McCartney, I just never saw Elton John as a major drug fiend or particularly troubled individual (nor a child prodigy). Well, that reality has been shattered. Amongst the gloriously glam outfits and genuinely moving performance from Taron Egerton, Rocketman is first and foremost a tale of a man battling depression and self-loathing whilst surrounded by all the material excess his insanely successfuly lifestyle can both afford and take (and then some, considering the multiple suicide attempts and over doses). Certainly a far cry from the AIDs charity owning, Watford football supporting, Princess Di tribute-making image that I'd grown up with (though I did enjoy the Watford moment in his montage).

That the film manages to portray all of that whilst making Elton feel likeable and real, yet still giving him an edge of absurdity is worthy of credit, even if it seems that some elements of his life were a little exaggerated or overly simplified (which is to be expected). With some great acting performances and a brilliantly re-recorded soundtrack (good Lord, Egerton is just ridiculously talented 🤯), I thought it weaved its story through Elton's greatest hits very neatly. It's not a biopic I need to rush to rewatch, but I'm very glad to have seen it, and I can't really think of any way to make it better. Plus, I'll be humming the tracks for a few weeks to come... 🚀👨‍🚀