There are times when people want a biopic of a respectable figure, of someone they look up to. There are times when biopics turn out to be cinematic masterpieces and draw large sections of audiences. One such example would be The Theory of Everything, a period drama made on the life and achievements of the astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking. Eddie Redmayne's Hawking drew audiences from every demographic. Or Bohemian Rhapsody. Queen loyalists eagerly waited for a biopic to be made on the life and times of Freddie Mercury and of the British rock band, Queen.
Having said that, quite a number of duds have also been made in the name of biopics. Here are ten of those examples, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
10 KLIMT (32%)
Klimt is cringe-fest on the life of Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt. Gustav is personified by actor John Malkovich in the movie. Directed by Raúl Ruiz, Klimt reeks of skewed dialogues and incomprehensive dubbing in scenes. We just wish the movie justified the lavishness, overpowering, colorful scenery of posh Vienna.
Overall, Klimt does a disservice to the symbolist painter Gustav by a random depiction of events and unfathomable audio. The movie's only redeeming quality is its visual prowess.
9 Liz and Dick (33%)
Liz and Dick is an indignified take on the romance of prolific actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton by Lindsay Lohan and Grant Bowler, respectively. The movie is a scandalous chronicle of Elizabeth and Richard, who first met on the sets of the movie Cleopatra.
Liz and Dick is a classic case of a movie where the actor has got it all wrong. Lindsey's personification of the legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor is far from real, or even convincing for that matter. No wonder the movie only stood out for make-up and hairstyle.
8 Jobs (28%)
Jobs is the story of the founder of Apple Inc. Steve Jobs and his partner, Steve Wozniak. Although the focus of the movie is on Steve Jobs, the film fails to do justice to his genius. The portrayal of events is fairly accurate, depciting how Jobs began, went public with his company, and, ultimately, was fired from the same company he created.
Jobs divided audiences into two with Ashton Kutcher's casting as Steve Jobs. While the movie is off to a good start, well-written, the ending is a bit rushed without a paced conclusion.
7 The Audrey Hepburn Story (20%)
The only part that The Audrey Hepburn Story got right was Jennifer Love Hewitt's look as Audrey. The first thing you notice about Audrey Hepburn as her actress is her poise, charm, grace, and, more importantly, her voice. These are the things to which Jennifer failed to do justice.
The other anomaly about the movie is that it lays undue stress on Audrey's life as an actor. Her initial years of struggle, as a result, are rushed and compromised; Audrey Hepburn wasn't just a Hollywood icon, she was a survivor of the worst tyrannies of the twentieth century. However, Frances Fisher's Ella Hepburn deserves due praise in the movie.
6 I Saw The Light (20%)
Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of singer and songwriter Hank Williams can be best summarised as a missed opportunity. I Saw The Light aims to tell the tale of legendary country singer Hank, his rise to fame, and his subsequent battle with alcohol addiction. Tom Hiddleston as Hank and Elizabeth Olsen as Audrey Mae Williams share electric chemistry. While the two shine in their respective roles and together as a couple, that's all there really is to this movie. Beyond that, it's a pathetic rendition on the life of Hank Williams.
5 All Eyez On Me (18%)
Decades after his assassination, the American rapper Tupac Shakur's name still lives on. All Eyez On Me is an attempt to recast the eventful life of Tupac as a rapper, an actor, and poet. Consider this biopic a factual commentary on Tupac's life rather than an actual peek into his highs and lows.
Shipp Jr. as Tupac Shakur is heavily criticized on account of his lackluster performance, as is the movie. The movie failed to comment on the parallel sociological events that shaped Tupac's genius. A factual narrative at its best, All Eyez On Me is another example of a biopic dud.
4 Alexander (16%)
Colin Farrell's take on Alexander the great is everything but great—it's not even good to begin with. At the outset, the movie fails to focus on one subject, it keeps dilly-dallying between Alexander's nationalism and his sexuality. Call it a historical narrative of Alexander conquering of the world, the focus suddenly is on Alexander's sexuality. Call it the latter and suddenly the King of Macedon is back with an eluded sense of hypernationalism/jingoism.
Oliver Stone could have tackled both the subjects at once. Alexander gets arduous with its runtime of nearly three hours and is ultimately soul-sucking to watch. When you know movie watching is that taxing, you know you should drop it at once.
3 Against The Ropes (12%)
Against The Ropes bombed hard at the box office. The premise seems good: the story of the first female boxing manager, Jackie Kallen. What is appalling about the movie though is Meg Ryan's performance as Jackie Kallen. The same Meg Ryan who did Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, You've Got Mail, and Kate and Leopold to name a few.
This movie is not only a classic case of lead actors' bad acting, but also of writing and direction. It doesn't take long before Against The Ropes starts reeking of sports cliches and pointless brazen attitudes of the cast.
2 Diana (8%)
You know the movie is a big dull dud when the actress regrets taking up the part in the end. Diana chronicles the last two years of Princess Diana and her affair with the British-Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan. Naomi Watts is a brilliant actor in her own league, but, in Diana, she's just a misfit. The thing with attempting biopic of literally grandiose nature is that you have to be mindful of your diligence. We wish the director Oliver Hirschbiegel took note of that. The script is downright funny, and the camera work is largely shabby.
1 Nina (2%)
Zoe Saldana's Nina Simone is a half-hearted job, one that does a disservice to many contributions of Nina Simone. If you have been a Nina Simone fan, you know what I am talking about. The blatant disrespect of her musical genius, showcasing her as a woman who lost it all because she drank, smoked, and was out of shape is unbearable to watch. Everything about Zoe's Nina in the movie, from her look to body language and singing ability is far worse than mediocre.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/2ZE5pBt
0 comments:
Post a Comment