Tag: Biopic

Magnetic Performances Make Unstoppable The Feel Good Film of 2024 (Middleburg Film Festival)

Based on a true story, Unstoppable introduces us to high school wrestler Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) who lives with his mother Judy (Jennifer Lopez), stepfather Rick (Bobby Canavale), and his siblings. Anthony has dreams of wrestling on the…

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Maria is All About Angelina (Middleburg Film Festival)

Director Pablo Larraín has finally delivered his final film in his informal trilogy documenting the tumultuous periods in the lives of famous women in the 20th century. Beginning with 2016’s Jackie and continuing with 2021’s Spencer, both of…

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A Complete Unknown is a Strong Defense of the Creative Artist

Biopics of legendary musicians have become all the rage in multiplexes post-Bohemian Rhapsody, Hollywood is a copycat town after all. Director James Mangold has crafted one following the rise of folk music legend Bob Dylan (Timothee Chalamet). His…

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Shirley Documents The Audacity of Self Belief

Forty-four years before Hillary Clinton’s historic run for President, one Congresswoman had the audacity to try her hand at the biggest political office on the planet. Shirley documents the historic 1972 Presidential campaign of black U.S. congresswoman Shirley…

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Bob Marley: One Love Does Little to Rise Above Typical Biopic Fare

Following the overwhelming box office success of 2018’s Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, films detailing the lives of musical legends were greenlit across Hollywood studio lots. The newest one, Bob Marley: One Love tells the story of reggae icon Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and his…

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Radical Shows That Sentiment Can Still Be Impactful (Sundance Film Festival)

On the surface, Radical would seem to be too much of the same to be an entertaining film; a sentimental film about a hopeful, enthusiastic teacher that must overcome systemic and administrative obstacles to reach the hard scrabble…

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Ferrari Doesn’t Quite Come Together Across the Finish Line

Legendary director Michael Mann returns to the big screen with a new biopic centered around a legendary car maker. Ferrari transports us to the summer of 1957 as Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) and his wife Laura (Penelope Cruz)…

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Maestro is a Technical Marvel Paired with an Emotional Story of Marriage’s Complexity (Middleburg Film Festival)

Bradley Cooper returns to directing with a biopic about a famous musician, this time focusing on a famous, real life figure. Maestro chronicles the rise of famous composer Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) as he builds his musical legend alongside…

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Napoleon’s Two Quality Halves Don’t Make a Whole

2023 has seen multiple historical epics grace the big screen as if the 1960s have returned. Audiences seem to be warming up to witnessing history unfold in theaters with the hype surrounding multiple pictures and director Ridley Scott’s…

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Nyad Swims Past Doubt and Societal Expectations Toward Motivation and Inspiration

As we age, coming to terms with our inevitable physical limitations is hard enough. The expected limitations that are hoisted upon us by society and culture are doubly frustrating for many who still see themselves as possessing the…

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