Biopics on cultural personalities

Prime example of the films that don't take real lives of their targets seriously. Most of all this movie is its makers' own original tale about inspiration, pettiness and jealousy. However impassioned scenes and impressive visuals truly bring Mozart's music alive and do it justice.

An animation which depicts japanese poet and fairy tale author Kenji Miyazawa as a cat, in style of mangaka Hiroshi Masumura's adaption of his tale Ginga tetsudō no yoru (Night on a Galactic Railroad). Kenji wrote a lot of animal characters during his career, but whole cast of Galactic Railroad was originally all human.

I was brought up by beautiful but melancholic european fairy tales, H.C.Andersen and Oscar Wilde as the best know examples. After crying my childhood with them, it was a treat to get introduced to works of Kenji. Adversities and death are present in his fairy tales too, but the will to live and love of life was something new that somehow perfected the storytelling form I had considered slightly unpleasant before. After his humble life which was shortened by tuberculosis, his works became some of the most well know japanese literature of his era. Many anime titles open up more easily if you know anything about Kenji's works; in Japan knowing them is a given.

This anime trusts on surreal imagery in its storytelling. I'm not sure if its whimsical chaos does justice to Kenji's kind nature and intellect, but have to admit this film makes more sense after learning more tidbits about its subject, reading more of his books (even if not enough of them has been translated in english so far), and simply watching it again. In the end it's rather intense movie, with interesting soundtrack by Shang Shang Typhoon, and most intense animated writing seen in anime before Death Note.

The most difficult task for a biopic about an artist is to live up to the art of its subject. In this case it's a film about director who supposedly was the worst of his kind. After seeing some of his works I have to admit they're quite a combination of nonexistent budget and weird improvisation! They're yet often more sympathetic than certain calculated blockbusters. This film captures the filmmaker's passion of Ed Wood into actually very good film. Through joys and sorrows we get to see his open mindedness, baseless whims, and the warm friendship with aged and otherwise forgotten Bela Lugosi.

The best of Tim Burton by far.

Before the era of the internet an american comedian Andy Kaufman tested the sense of humour of his audience in several funny ways, after first becoming a household name with his role in a sitcom, Taxi. What nowadays would be considered tired old trolling was provocative in its time. Was it funnier then or now with hindsight is up to you, but we aren't in so bad position regarding the kaufman experience these days, because this film is directed by Milos Forman of the Amadeus fame. The script keep Kaufman intentionally as a difficult person to grasp, but in the end leaves an aftertaste of a story about artistic growth. Jim Carrey's take on Kaufman's routines is spot on. Bonus points for confusing european viewers, who in some cases weren't well versed about Kaufman's career or life before this film's premiere.

Famed and serious portrait of a composer directed by Ken Russell. I haven't watched it yet.

Another Ken Russell, about Tchaikovsky. I haven't seen this one either yet, but there was this sketch about it in Monty Python's Flying Circus...

Sketch comedy of a film, just suitably silly and absurd. If there absolutely has to be a fart scene in a comedy film (the type of humour I'm not a fan of), make it at least as classy as here.

A film about the creator of Peter Rabbit and her other charmingly illustrated fairy tale animals is aimed for adults but kept suitably cute. Without unnecessarily trying to build a larger-than-life tale out of an artist who enjoyed sheep farming, it's a sensible period piece without particular elements of magical realism but with maybe a lovely underlying sense of such.

Jack Kevorkian, known for promoting euthanasia in USA, was also an artistic person, which shows in this biopic.

I should really see this again now as an adult. Last time I was a youngster hungry for witful dialogue and slightly disappointed when we didn't get to hear such on every turn.

Documentary about the greatest band of all time. Backed by some of actual people who actually were there.

I seem to enjoy biopics made into sketch comedies.

They've said John Lennon used to watch this film. Thus apparently it got his blessing, not to mention George. The end and the final state to The Beatles as A Myth.

Openly a fairy tale about life of controversial yet sensuel Serge Gainsbourg, but since it seems to illustrate what a listener might imagine when listening to his music, I wish it would had also addressed more on MY kind of views on it. Haha, so it was interesting, but not my cup of tea. Excellently acted though.

Story of a man who uses his bisexuality as an excuse to cheat on his wife, the love of his life. Right?

This film needs more of Mona Lisa's smile, Mickey Mouse,turkey dinners, Tower of Pisa, Garbo's salary and Durante's nose. You know, the joy and soul in Cole Porter's songs.

And this one is OVER the top.

No warnings can prepare you for how bad taste this film has. It's impossible to rate; I don't exactly regret seeing this, but wish some parts would had gone differently. Not even music is by Liszt! It's by Rick Wakeman though, so not bad.

Roger Daltrey does his job well even in, uh, scenes like these, and is thus forever more rock'n'roll than Lady Gaga and friends can ever even dream to be. Most of all, Richard Wagner's portayal as a vampire is priceless.