There are so many great music biopics out there, but there equally ones that aren't so jazzy. I thought I'd choose a range of musical genres. Don't forget to check out what
Wandering Through the Shelves picked, the blog that started Thursday Movie Picks.
Walk the Line
I love Joaquin Phoenix so of course I ran to see this film when it first came out. I knew a little bit about Johnny Cash and had heard some of his music before. I knew he was infamous as well as famous, but casting Pheonix was a stroke of genius. Johnny Cash even approved him for the role before he died. He was electrifying. I also loved that he sang all of of the songs too so naturally I own the soundtrack too. How Johnny Cash went from singing hymns to country music and from being the 'black sheep' of the family to being one of the most famous singers is pure brilliance throughout.
Amadeus
Where is Tom Hulce? Well, he's now an award winning broadway producer but for me, he'll always me the insane incarnation of Mozart and of course Quasimodo from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. The esteemed Salieri relates to a priest how he killed Mozart out of jealousy. Just like the poster and trailer says, its about music, madness and murder and its simply superb.
Control
Ian Curtis, from Joy Division, was a name a read about frequently during my school days. His name and Richie Edwards (former Manic Street Preachers musician who disappeared) were always on the cover of NME (New Musical Express) which I read every week when at school. I liked some of of Joy Division's music and I liked a few other bands who had been compared to them. Of course Joy Division, after Curtis' death went on to become New Order. The film chronicles Ian's marriage to Deborah Curtis when they were 19 and 18, the formation of Joy Division, his struggles with epilepsy, his affair with Belgium journalist and his suicide at the age of 23. This was another film wth excellent casting, before he was famous Sam Riley is a perfect fit for Ian. The film is beautifully photographed which is no surprise as it was photographer Anton Corbjin's directorial debut film.
