Saturday, July 7, 2012

5 Movie-Themed Biopics That I'd Like To See


Earlier in the week I caught up with My Week with Marilyn, which had Michelle Williams (in an Oscar-nominated, amazing performance) playing the one and only Marilyn Monroe and endure a week with Eddie Redmayne's boring Colin Clark. While the film was a perfectly serviceable look into the difficult shoot of The Prince and the Showgirl, directed by Laurence Olivier (a great Kenneth Branagh), it wasn't as interesting as it could have been. In fact, I spent the whole time wishing that I was watching biopics of other people. By the end of My Week with Marilyn, this is the list I came up with:

Vivien Leigh


This is a pretty obvious choice on my part. It's just that after reading four different biographies on her and then writing my own, I know how interesting her story is. While it would be a little bit exhausting to see her entire life play out on screen, it would be quite heart-breaking to see her descent into mental illness. Basically, anything around the time when she was filming Caesar and Cleopatra and what happened after that. Or, if we were wanting to go on a Blue Valentine route, we could chart the relationship between she and Laurence Olivier and how that dissipated over the year. Or maybe down a bit of a less-intense version of We Need to Talk About Kevin showing the slight disconnect between her and her daughter Suzanne. Or maybe just down the traditional road of making a movie about the making of Gone with the Wind. It has been done in a TV movie, but I feel like that story could be a whole lot more. With Vivien, there's a whole range of opportunities for stellar movies, which was one of the reasons why I didn't totally feel My Week with Marilyn: her character was treated poorly. Mind you, I suspect the problem with a biopic on Vivien is the fact that absolutely no-one could play her. She really was one in a million.

Lars von Trier


Yeah, von Trier annoys the hell out of me, but I've got to admit, it might be interesting to get inside his brain. I don't even know where we'd begin. The trouble with his father? His depression? His fear of flying? Or what happened at last year's Cannes film festival? In fact, that would be pretty interesting. I can just see it: My Day with Lars von Trier, told from the point of view of Kirsten Dunst. Or something to that effect. Knowing Lars, though, I can see him making his own biopic during the next decade.

Katharine Hepburn


There's a multitude of classic stars that would make interesting biopics - Jean Seberg, Jean Harlow, Lana Turner, Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, etc - but I'd most like to see one on Katharine Hepburn. And no, I wouldn't like to have it focused on her life as a movie star. A while back, I read a biography on her, and I found myself taken with her story when she was younger. Just the way her family was, and particularly the events around her brother's suicide, was particularly interesting to me. And I think it could make a stellar movie. Also, the relationship between she and Spencer Tracy could make for an interesting film if it was done right.

Roman Polanski


It is only a matter of time before his life is put into production. And why shouldn't it be? Roman Polanski has brought new meaning to living his life to the full - more has happened to him in his life than what has happened to a group of ten average people. Which may make for some interesting cinema. However, I'm perfectly happy with Roman making kick-ass films like The Pianist and The Ghost Writer. Still, he deserves more than to be obviously an influence on one of Nicki Minaj's alter egos, Roman Zolanski. Who I'm told is not in any way related to Roman Polanski. Which is probably true, because Polanski actually has talent.

Tom Hiddleston


Okay, so I'm half-heartedly joking with this one. But I could totally see My Week with Tom Hiddleston. How insane would that be? If you've seen the Loki'd video, or any interview or anything that he's done, you'll know that this guy is pretty awesome. A week with him would be double awesome. Mind you, a week with any one of The Avengers cast would be awesome. Particularly Robert Downey Jr. But I think we've already had his biopic - Iron Man.

What about you? What are some movie-themed biopics that you'd like to see?

30 comments:

  1. I'd totally watch a Von Trier biopic. I'd love to see a Tom Cruise biopic - he's just had such an all-over-the-place life.

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    1. A Tom Cruise biopic sure would be interesting. He's another guy that's lived the equivalent to ten lives!

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  2. Bahahahaha- Hiddles <3 He must play himself.
    I would love to see all of these, especially Leigh and Polanski. I actually even liked My Week with Marilyn because I found Marilyn Monroe so fascinating. The old actors and actresses had such tragic lives. Natalie Wood, Montgomery Clift, friggin' Elizabeth Taylor. Even Indian actors. But the only thing is that they should do them justice.

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    1. There needs to be like, a Hiddles documentary or something. That would be interesting.
      Natalie Wood would be a very interesting topic for a biopic! (ha, that kind of rhymed). Elizabeth Taylor would also make a great one - I'm just going to forget that Lindsay Lohan one is happening.

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  3. Great post!!!

    I think...I'd like to see a biopic of Audrey Hepburn maybe, or Julie Andrews. I really don't know!

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    1. Thanks! Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews would make good biopics. But I demand that Andrews' biopic be a musical!

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  4. Good choice with Polanski. It would be interesting to see his personal life converted to the screen.

    I'd choose Orson Welles. From child prodigy who lost both his parents at a young age, to one of the largest figures in cinema.

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    1. It would be - but like I said, it is only a matter of time.

      Orson Welles did have the recent biopic Me and Orson Welles (which Christian McKay was AMAZING in). Mind you, that only looks at one small facet of his life. I think they should make another one, and have Christian McKay play him again. That would make the most epic biopic ever.

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    2. Oh, of course! I'd forgotten about that. I must see it.

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    3. You must! Seriously, Christian McKay is beyond great.

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  5. I wanted to write something like that, too. Being honest, I would like to see biopics about ANY big film names. But my top choices would be Vivien Leigh, Grace Kelly, Montgomery Clift (!!!), any Hepburn, Mae West, and Liz Taylor. I also don't mind someone to make a fuller biopic on Marilyn Monroe, not just about a week in her life. As for modern actors/directors, I have no idea now. Maybe, Quentin Tarantino. Yet I don't know if his life has been that interesting, but he seems like a crazy person, so yeah maybe :)

    And I can't agree more that you can have tons of opportunities to show a person's life, what you've written in the paragrapgh about Vivien. Basically, you can even describe one day in the icon's life (edit: yeah, now I read the bit on von Trier, and there goes "My Day"). And I think the case is not only about Leigh.

    As for K. Hepburn, a personal biopic would totally be great. Like in The Aviator, although there were bits about making films, but it still was a more personal biopic on Hughes. I also liked how Hepburn was presented there.

    And I think it's interesting too see biopics of forgotten people, like in Hugo that had a huge share of George Melies' life story.

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    1. I just read up on Montgomery Clift's life - that sounds like mighty interesting film material! Quentin Tarantino made my shortlist, mainly because it would be cool to see how he worked in a video store and then became a director. And yeah he does seem like a crazy person!

      I liked how Hepburn was presented in The Aviator, too. That's one of the finest biopics I've seen, in my opinion.

      Silent star biopics would be awesome!

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  6. I personally would love a Katherine Hepburn or Vivien Leigh biopic. Very interesting women. While I'm not a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe (except for Some Like It Hot, which is a fantastic movie), My Week With Marilyn sounds like a decent watch for Michelle Williams.

    A Lars von Trier biopic? Well... okay. Love the dude's films but no one could play him. No way.

    I'd personally love to see an Ingmar Bergman biopic. I've read his autobiography and it's quite interesting. Or, BETTER YET, a Luis Bunuel biopic. The man's so smart and funny and controversial that a movie about him would be excellent.

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    1. I've never been a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe, so that's why My Week with Marilyn was a bit disappointing for me. It is a nice watch for Michelle Williams.

      I thought you'd like the idea of Lars von Trier biopic. Guess I was wrong. But no, no-one could play him.

      A Luis Bunuel biopic would be mighty interesting.

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  7. I'd love too see a Katharine Hepburn biopic, but who would play her?? That's why I'm always so scared of biopics of artist I adore, it can easily go very, very wrong. Also, most of the time I just have that sense of "let him/her memory be". Particularly for those who were big stars, or had tragic lives.

    I do agree Lesya in that forgotten people make compelling biopics. Because there's a purpose there, to bring something to light. Whereas usually they just explore someone's life for profit. Though I loved I'm Not There, which despite being about someone as famous as Bob Dylan, you can see it's made out of adoration for the artist, so those I can handle too.

    And nice catch on Roman Polanski, I'm sure it is only a matter of time as well. As for Hiddleston, I don't know if there's much to say about his life so far, but it would surely be hilarious! Overall, great idea for a post, as usual!

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    1. I could see Cate Blanchett playing her again, but it is hard to find people to play the icons well. It is even harder to get a good script for them!

      I'm Not There was really good, mainly because it didn't play out like a traditional biopic. As long as they don't turn into Oscar bait, I'm good with them!

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  8. It's not really movie related, but I would love to see a bopic of the Gallagher brothers. They had an awful childhood, and their relationship is just so fucked up it would be an awesome film.

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  9. I want to see a biopic on Peter O'Toole. This man had a life that would make others amazed (eight Oscar nods and no wins!) and/or aghast (he was a bit of a party animal back in his prime). My choice actor to play him? Michael Fassbender. After all, he did base part of his performance in Prometheus off of O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia. (But thinking about it, Tom also used O'Toole as an influence for Loki in Thor. Hmmm...)

    Oh, and if you want to see a really great Hollywood biopic, you should really check out Ed Wood.

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    1. Peter O'Toole would make for an interesting biopic! And Michael Fassbender would be a great choice to play him.

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  10. I'd love to see a Hepburn biopic with Cate Blanchett taking on the role again. She was divine in The Aviator

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  11. I do remember when watching a interview with Madeline Albright on the Daily Show when she talked about discovering her origins and the moral quandary's that came with what she found out it seemed like good biopic material to me. But for me its more about a biopic is made rather than who it is about that makes it interesting, which i think a lot of recent biopics have gotten wrong. A personal example for me would be Nowhere Boy. I'm not a big Beatles person, so i didn't start the film that interested in Lennon. But the movie quickly won me over, and i would count it as one of my favorite biopics.

    So basically, get a good script and director on board, and the biopic should be good whether it focuses on a star like Hepburn or a random plumber down the street.

    Also, i think a Polanski biopic might have a bit of difficulty with how to present the whole molestation incident. To acknowledge it without trying to minimize its impact for the sake of sympathy is something that would require a really courageous writer/director behind.

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    1. Nowhere Boy was really good! One of my favourite biopics, too. Biopics need to stop being Oscar baiters and start looking at the actual life of their topic.

      Courage is something that we need in film.

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  12. Oh, I would be first in line (carrying knives and such) to see a film about Lars von Trier!!!! I would go for the Roman Polanski one as well.

    For me, I would like to see a film on David Bowie circa '76-'80 during the making of his famed Berlin trilogy with Brian Eno as well as making Iggy Pop's first 2 solo records.

    A second pick would be on producer George Martin, manager Brian Epstein, and associates Neil Aspinall, Mal Evans, and Derek Taylor among several others for a film about the men behind the scenes for the Beatles' success and eventual downfall.

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    1. Ooh, those would make some interesting biopics!

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  13. Nicola Tesla. Directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale or Timothy Olyphant.

    Vladimir Rasputin. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, starring Ray Stevenson or Joel Kinnamna.

    Blackbeard. Directed by Peter Weir, starring Russell Crowe

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    1. Joel Kinnaman* damn typo lol.

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    2. I had heard that Chris Nolan was interested in doing a Tesla biopic. Then again, he kinda touched on that with The Prestige. Would be interesting to see it, though!

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  14. I'd love to see Lars von Trier and Roman Polanski biopics, they seem to be very interesting characters. You had me laughing at Tom Hiddleston, but I would watch that, too, he is fantastic!

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You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

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