Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart in 'The Runaways'
In a few days, yet another music biopic will hit theaters, this time telling the tale of the female rock group “The Runaways.” The movie, titled after the band, is the most recent of a long list of musical stories that range from Oscar winners to throw away flicks. In honor of the rock gods, here is a look at ten of the best music oriented films.
Walk Hard
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
I never said the list had to be completely true to life, so I’ll start off by suggesting “Walk Hard.” The spoof of this decades music biopics has the genre down pitch perfect, using drugs, sex, and music to draw out a musicians flaws and triumphs. The music is hilarious while managing to be well produced and better parody type songs than even Weird Al.
This is Spinal Tap
Keeping with the spoof and mock film, “This is Spinal Tap” is the benchmark for mockumentary and parody films. Rob Reiner’s breakout movie mocks everything surrounding rock and roll from guitars, to albums, to the personality of a band. While the band falls apart on their fateful tour, you can’t help but laugh at their shenanigans and downfall.
Control
The first on the list of factual bands holds a high honor. Filmed in stark black and white, “Control” looks gorgeous as you witness the rise and fall of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division. Sam Riley’s portrayal of the singer is hauntingly brilliant, mastering the deep wallowing voice and even the tortuous epilepsy attacks. The film hasn’t had a huge amount of attention due to its limited release, but seek it out on DVD for a real gem of a film.
Ray
In perhaps the most famous of the biopics, Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of Ray Charles is nothing less that glorious. His mannerisms to singing bring the artist back to life, showing the greatness and dark side of “Ray.” His Best Actor Oscar was well deserved, for few actors become the person as perfectly as he did.
Beyond the Sea
This completely unconventional blurs the reality and storytelling of the life and times of Bobby Darin. Kevin Spacey stars as the singer who battles sickness and love to create some of yesteryear’s most legendary big band songs. You witness a man telling the story of his life, just in the way he would want to, all the while a musical surrounds the plot.
I’m Not There
Bob Dylan, whether the singer or fictional characters as in this film, has become America’s legend of music. “I’m Not There” fractures several eras of the man’s life into six different characters, each representing a personality, point in time, or musical period of Dylan’s life. The film is artfully crafted, with each section’s style defined by color and camera, as well as actor. You won’t see a biographical based piece like this in any other medium.
Blues Brothers
Who can’t love the fictional blues duo of Jake and Elwood? Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi compliment each other as no other comedy team could, while wailing away on great blues and running across Illinois for one last night of music. Get the band back together, put on the sunglasses, and relive the classic music comedy that will remain a staple for American comedy culture.
Once
After taking way to long to finally see the film, I was shocked at how amazing the story depicting a street musician is. The little Irish film took the Oscar for Best Song a few years ago for the heartfelt “Falling Slowly.” The film isn’t a cinematic masterpiece reliant on big sets or epic camera shots, but it excels with an incredible love story that avoids being cliché, putting a new twist on what a romantic musical can be.
Walk the Line
Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line” is tragically inspiring. As the famous country musician, Joaquin belts out classic tunes while adulterously winning over the heart of his stage partner. The entire film has the standard rising and falling of a musician while building up a strong character as he moves throughout his life.
Almost Famous
To finish the list off, I saved the best for last. “Almost Famous” is a fictional story based on writer-director Cameron Crow’s life experiences writing for Rolling Stone magazine. It is the one of the best coming of age tales about growing up on the road. The band Stillwater, the focus of the film, find itself in the middle of its rise to fame, with an aspiring writer following the band for Rolling Stone. An impressive cast fills out the list of talent, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Jason Lee, and Billy Crudup. Check this one out for sure to get in the spirit of classic rock bands on tour just in time for “The Runaways.”
Recent trends show that Iraq War movies bomb at the box office. That is fact, so why do big directors and studios continue to tackle stories enveloped by the war? Patriotism? Politics? Action? Maybe it is to build a timeless film that may not do well now, but might transcend this generation and be in high regards in the future. We know that now these films can find acclaim, as in “The Hurt Locker,” but that film managed to avoid throat-cramming politics. What about the most recent release “Green Zone.”
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