Comments on: Best Biopics

By: Jettboy

Jettboy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:02:00 +0000

I would have to add “Yankee Doodle Dandy” with James Cagney and “Lust for Life” with Kirk Douglas. In the spirit of “Amelia” I would definantly add “The Spirit of St. Louis” with Jimmy Stewart. Truth be told, “The Ten Commandments” with Charlton Heston as Moses has to be included. Another one that should be included is “Malcolm X” with Denzel Washington that gives a tremondous performance.

One I would take out from above is “Gandhi,” one of the most boring movies ever made. I can’t get past the first half hour without wanting to fall asleep. The only reason its included is because its about that one famous guy that everyone should love and remember.

By: Rose Tyler

Rose Tyler — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:52:11 +0000

I thought Something the Lord Made was an excellent movie. Though I suppose it focuses mostly on a certain time period in the lives of two great men. I love Walk the Line but it’s more the story of John and June than anything else. So perhaps it’s more of a biographical romance.

By: MCQ

MCQ — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:49:48 +0000

I’ll give you one thing: it’s very original. Very few movies manage a completely banal plot, total absence of dialogue, disgusting visuals and stultifying dullness all at the same time. It’s a real achievement.

By: MCQ

MCQ — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:37:50 +0000

Because it’s abysmally stupid and moronic?

By: Susan M

Susan M — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:31:41 +0000

No way. See Eraserhead. Now. I haven’t seen it since high school, either, but a cult classic is a cult classic for a reason.

By: MCQ

MCQ — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:53:00 +0000

Skip Eraserhead, Clark. Totally not worth your time. I’m still wishing I had that time back and I saw it in high school. I hate very few movies, but I hated that one.

By: BTD Greg

BTD Greg — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:24:38 +0000

I liked The Aviator fine. Ed Wood’s a great choice. I also enjoyed Finding Neverland. One thing all three of these have in common is that they are all highly fictionalized. Maybe that’s true of all biopics to one degree or another. Citizen Kane is basically a fictionalized biopic of William Randolf Hearst.

There’s a biopic I watched years ago about the explorer Richard Burton (not the actor) called Mountains of the Moon that I remember being really great.

I’d like to see The Informant! which is based on the non-fiction book of the same name (minus the exclamation point).

By: Mansfield

Mansfield — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:26:38 +0000

I remember liking Gary Cooper as Sgt. York and as Lou Gehrig, and James Cagney as George M. Cohan, but not James Cagney as Lon Chaney Sr. I should rent Sgt. York and Yankee Doodle Dandy and see how they hold up now that they are about twice as old as when I last saw them. Last month I watched A Hard Day's Night (biopic?) for the second time, the first time being 1985. I and the world definitely felt a quarter century older.

By: Clark

Clark — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:57:22 +0000

Kundun was boring. But it was so beautifully filmed. Reminds me of films like The Red Line or The New World by Malick (whom I assume was a big influence on S.) But yeah, it’s on of S’s films I’ve no desire to see again.

My problem with Seven Years (beyond Brad Pitt whom I’ve only liked in a few films) was that it just felt “forced.” It didn’t flow naturally. There was just way too much cliche in it. Which is also my big problem with most biopics.

Can I make my deep and troubled admission? Despite being a huge Lynch fan I’ve never seen The Elephant Man. (I also have never seen Eraserhead or Inland Empire)

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:31:50 +0000

Clark,

I felt Kundun was boring, and while Seven Years in Tibet wasn’t any more quickly paced, something about that film really touched me. Maybe it was the music, but I really liked it.

Have you seen the director’s cut of Amadeus? It adds more back story, though it is clear the extra didn’t really add that much more to the story.