25 best biopics about musicians, according to critics

This accepted 1980s film specializes within the brief but meaningful lifetime of Ritchie Valens, who turned into once 17 when he died in a aircraft smash along with Buddy Holly and J.P. “The Sizable Bopper” Richardson. The title of the film is in accordance to Valens’ hit tune, which turned into once tailored from a prone Mexican individuals tune repeatedly performed at weddings. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips performed the young rock principal particular person, and Esai Morales performed his brother Bob Morales.

Édith Piaf turns into one among France’s finest singers regardless of the tragic circumstances surrounding her as she grows up the daughter of an alcoholic mother, who sang on the streets, and a circus performer father in “La Vie en Rose.” Marion Cotillard stars as Piaf and Gérard Depardieu stars as Louis Leplée, the nightclub owner who discovered the singer and who would in the end be murdered.

Rapper André 3000 turned into once nominated for an Just Spirit Award for his performance as rocker Jimi Hendrix. The film specializes within the making of Jimi Hendrix who started out in Current York as James Hendrix, a man who performed the guitar and moved to London to attain his occupation. Hendrix would plug on to turn out to be arguably one among the absolute most practical guitar gamers of all time earlier than his demise at 27 from a drug overdose in 1970.

Chronicling John Lennon’s boyhood and teenage years, “Nowhere Boy” also examines the musician’s relationship with two foremost girls individuals in his lifestyles—his absent mother, who in the end reappeared, and Mimi, the strict aunt who raised him. The film, in accordance to the biography written by Lennon’s half-sister Julia Baird, also explores how John started the band the Quarrymen, which in the end turned into The Beatles, and it also paperwork the predominant time he met Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Lennon, and Kristin Scott Thomas plays Aunt Mimi.

Sooner than turning into “J.Lo,” Jennifer Lopez performed Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, who left her place on fans and the field earlier than her lifestyles ended at 23. The film touches on Selena’s childhood, her relationship along with her family, and her romance and marriage to Chris Pérez, and parts her rise to standing to boot to her tragic shooting demise by Yolanda Saldívar, an obsessed fan and head of her fan club.

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All-girl neighborhood the Sapphires head to Vietnam to entertain the troops from their native Australia with the support of a skill scout performed by Chris O’Dowd on this musical comedy. The film is in accordance to a play by Tony Briggs, which is loosely in accordance to the factual story of Briggs’ maintain mother and aunt. Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens, and Miranda Tapsell play the Sapphires.

The film “Closing Days” is loosely in accordance to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s final days. Michael Pitt plays the Cobainesque musician Blake who lives out his existence in a swish but rundown mansion. Kim Gordon from Sonic Formative years appears to be like within the movie, which also stars Asia Argento, the daughter of Italian filmmaker Dario Argento.

In the 1980s, the Soviet metropolis of Leningrad had an underground rock world, and “Leto” takes its inspiration from that scene. Loosely in accordance to the lives of Viktor Tsoi and Mike Naumenko, two famed rockers at the time, the film throws them real into a mentor/mentee verbalize of affairs and adds a like triangle that beneficial properties Mike’s higher half. Roman Bilyk plays Mike and Teo Yoo plays Viktor on this film that blurs fact and fiction.

The title of this biopic is in accordance to “The Negro Motorist Green Book,” a riding recordsdata that allowed African Americans to steer certain of segregation on The United States’s roadways within the middle of the Jim Crow generation. The Oscar-winning film turned into once impressed by the factual story of the friendship that developed between African American pianist Donald Shirley and Italian American bouncer Tony “Lip” Vallelonga as they drove from Long island by the Deep South in 1962 for Shirley’s musical tour, with the “Green Book” as their recordsdata. Mahershala Ali plays Shirley and Viggo Mortensen plays Vallelonga.

Taron Egerton plays singer Elton John on this fantastical biopic in accordance to the eccentric artist’s lifestyles. Egerton also sang all of John’s songs within the film that specializes within the musician’s early leap forward years. “Rocketman” snagged an Oscar for simplest achievement in tune written for motion pictures for the true tune, “I’m Gonna Love Me All over again.”

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David Carradine plays singer Woody Guthrie on this film in accordance to Guthrie’s autobiography of the identical name, which turned into once published in 1943. Guthrie left Texas within the middle of the Mud Bowl and traveled at some stage within the country stirring up morale for the migrant laborers and lastly wrote the nation’s fresh anthem, “This Land is Your Land.”

Chadwick Boseman plays Godfather of Soul James Brown in “Earn on Up.” The film covers Brown’s rags-to-riches story from his poverty-stricken childhood to his many brushes with the legislation and his rise as a musician. The film also stars Dan Aykroyd, Octavia Spencer, and Viola Davis as Susie Brown, James’ mother.

In accordance to country singer Johnny Money’s lifestyles, “Streak the Line” featured Joaquin Phoenix as the “Man in Black” and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, a member of country tune’s first family, the Carter Family. The film lined the accident that killed Money’s brother in his boyhood, his days within the militia, his failed first marriage, the drug addiction that with regards to killed him, and his romance and eventual marriage to June, which lasted till her demise in 2003, four months earlier than Money’s maintain demise. Witherspoon obtained an Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter Money.

“Straight Outta Compton” is the story of legendary rap neighborhood N.W.A.’s rise to standing from the streets of Compton and its contribution to West Hover rap. Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Dice, DJ Yella, MC Ren, and D.O.C. are portrayed by Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Neil Brown Jr., Aldis Hodge, and Marlon Yates Jr., respectively, whereas Paul Giamatti plays supervisor Jerry Heller. The film turned into once nominated for an Oscar for simplest writing, real screenplay.

In accordance to the lifetime of musician Ray Charles, “Ray” stars Jamie Foxx within the titular feature. The film specializes in Ray’s lifestyles from his humble southern roots to glaucoma that left him blind at 7 to his rise to standing initiating within the 1950s. Regina King and Kerry Washington also principal particular person on this biopic that obtained two Oscars, in conjunction with one for Foxx for simplest performance by an actor in a number one feature.

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Six numerous iterations of Bob Dylan are introduced on this film that the musician accepted himself. Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Richard Gere, and Marcus Carl Franklin all provide their eliminate on Dylan’s work and lifestyles when they play Bob Dylan. Blanchett obtained an Oscar nod for simplest performance by an actress in a supporting feature for her work in “I’m Not There.”

In accordance to Sybil Rosen’s memoir, “Residing within the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley,” the film specializes within the lifestyles and cases of the Texas singer and songwriter. Rosen turned into once Blaze’s muse, and the film specializes of their relationship to boot to the musician’s turbulent lifestyles and occupation and eventual assassinate at 39. Alia Shawkat plays Rosen, and Ben Dickey plays Foley.

Starring Angela Bassett as rock chronicle Tina Turner and Laurence Fishburne as her volatile and abusive husband Ike Turner, “What’s Love Purchased to Enact With It” specializes in Turner’s lifestyles, and their tune and tumultuous relationship. The biopic is in accordance to Turner’s e book “I, Tina,” which she wrote with tune journalist Kurt Loder. Each Bassett and Fishburne earned Oscar nods for their performances within the film.

“Sid and Nancy” is the story of Sex Pistol Sid Vicious and his female friend Nancy Spungen and their volatile relationship from birth to kind. Chloe Webb plays Nancy and Gary Oldman plays Sid. Courtney Love also stars within the film, making her film debut.

The film covers the lifetime of Buddy Holly, in conjunction with his musical success with hits like “That’ll Be The Day” and “Peggy Sue,” his marriage, the breakup and makeup with his band the Crickets, and his tragic demise at 22 in 1959 with fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and The Sizable Bopper. Gary Busey obtained an Oscar nomination for simplest actor in a number one feature for his portrayal of the rock principal particular person.

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Flutist Hilary du Pré-Finzi tells the story of her sister, classic cellist Jacqueline du Pré, whose lifestyles turned into once cut tragically short after a fight with extra than one sclerosis. The film turned into once in accordance to du Pré-Finz’s e book, “A Genius within the Family.” Each Emily Watson, who performed Jackie, and Rachel Griffiths, who portrayed Hilary, obtained Oscar nominations.

Brian Wilson, the frontman of the 1960s band The Seaside Boys, is dropped at lifestyles on this film that paperwork his struggles with mental illness, his relationship with an abusive therapist, and the girl who helped him turn out to be self sustaining from and lastly turned into his higher half, Melinda Ledbetter. Elizabeth Banks plays Ledbetter, and John Cusack and Paul Dano each play Wilson.

Geoffrey Lumber plays pianist David Helfgott on this film that paperwork Helfgott’s breakdown and eventual return to the piano. Lumber obtained an Oscar for simplest actor in a number one feature for his portrayal of Helfgott and “Shine” obtained six extra Academy Award nominations.

Sissy Spacek obtained an Oscar for simplest actress in a number one feature for her portrayal of country singer Loretta Lynn. The film is in accordance to Lynn’s 1976 bestselling memoir, “Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner’s Daughter,” which tells of her years growing up in Butcher Holler, Kentucky; her marriage at a young age; and her rise to the high of country tune. Spacek also sang all of Lynn’s songs within the film.

American entertainer George M. Cohan, who within the middle of his childhood performed with his family as “The Four Cohans,” a vaudeville act, went on to turn out to be an American like and the subject of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Cohan turned into once awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for his Broadway hits like “The Yankee Doodle Boy” and “Give My Regards to Broadway,” and the film itself turned into once nominated for eight Oscars and obtained three, in conjunction with simplest actor in a number one feature for James Cagney, who performed Cohan.

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