Movie fans have shared their favorite biographies of all time, from films to music legends to political leaders.
Biopics dramatize the life of a real person and are often among the highest rated and award nominated films released each year. These include films such as Oppenheimer, maestro, Elvis And King Richard all have been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture in recent years.
Reddit user samx3i sparked the discussion on Thursday (August 15) after he posted in 1984 Amadeusanother big Oscar winner that tells the story of the rivalry between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.
“An incredible film if you haven’t seen it yet, and if you think you have to be a huge Mozart fan to fully enjoy it, you’re not (although it wouldn’t hurt),” they wrote. “When Amadeus ended, I immediately thought, ‘I wonder if there are any other great composers’ biographies anywhere near as good?'”
The post then asked others to recommend other great films in this genre, and people didn’t take long to respond.
Films about the lives of musicians were often suggested.”The daughter of a miner (about country singer Loretta Lynn) and The Buddy Holly Story are both great,” one user replied. “No backing track to the music either. Sissy Spacek and Gary Busey actually sing the songs.”
“Walk the line for me,” wrote another. “I remember sitting through the credits waiting to see who was doing those great (Johnny) Cash interpretations and it was Joaquin (Phoenix) – I was blown away.”
“The Joy Division biopic control is a dark, beautiful black and white masterpiece,” was another user’s choice.
“I enjoyed it Back to Black that came out a few months ago (Amy Winehouse),” wrote another. “As someone who has struggled with addiction, I could relate to it. I didn’t know much about her story before I saw it.”
But it wasn’t just about the musicians. One referred to Spike Lee’s epic 1992 drama Malcolm Xstarring Denzel Washington as a civil rights activist. “One of the few biopics I’ve seen that conveys the essence of the main character and her journey rather than just being a Wikipedia summary of her life,” they wrote. “Denzel’s best performance and for my money the best final 30 minutes of any film and one of the best pinpricks.”
Other picks included Lawrence of Arabia, I, Tonya, Ed Wood, Sid and Nancy And Life in Rose.
Another suggested this year’s Best Picture winner Oppenheimer as outstanding. “For me, not only is the story and context absolutely compelling (and of course the acting), but the direction and editing are wonderful, weaving two or three different important periods in the title character’s life into one fascinating narrative,” they argued.
In a five-star review of the film, NME wrote: “Not only the definitive report on the man behind the atom bomb, Oppenheimer is a monumental achievement in adult filmmaking. For years, Nolan has perfected the art of the serious blockbuster – creating smart, finely-tuned multiplex epics that command attention; that you can’t watch anywhere other than in a theater without interruptions and distractions. But this film feels bigger somehow.”
