The Final Cut #6: Biopics (Part 2)

A while ago, I wrote a post banging on about how much I love watching biopics and also promised a second part to my list of top picks. It's been over a year since then, which is more than a little bit scary, but don't worry I obviously meant to leave it so long because I wanted to be super dramatic and build suspense...I'm sure you've all been waking up every single day thinking, 'but WHEN will part two appear?!' Well hold on to your hats people because heeeeere weeeee gooooo...

(Ok I lied. First, a quick disclaimer: I originally did a nice, tidy, 'top 5' format, but I'm finding that increasingly difficult in this category AND, if I was going to do two parts, I should really have planned better and started the countdown at 10, so I'm making life easier for myself and just having this part in no particular order.)

(And second, please take a look at part one here - I think we're all in need of refreshing our memories, let's be honest.)

Ok, seriously this time, heeeeere weeeee gooooo...

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - My now deep-rooted adoration of all things Leonardo DiCaprio is no secret, in fact he's had a whole post dedicated to him and his acting prowess already. This particular film is as entertaining as it is shocking, AND it has a hilarious drug-fuelled sequence culminating in a bizarrely toothy Jonah Hill choking on a piece of ham. If that doesn't sell it then I don't know what will.

My Week With Marilyn (2011) - This, much like the James Dean biopic, Life, which I mentioned last time, combines some of my favourite things: the 50s, American Hollywood...and Eddie Redmayne. Eddie plays Colin Clark, who has the job of escorting the lady herself around London for a week during the shooting of one of her films. I am quite a fan of Michelle Williams and her portrayal of Marilyn really is fantastic, it definitely made me want to know more about her and potentially purchase some form of billowing white dress. Sadly I don't have five and a half million dollars lying around for the original, but pretty sure I could fashion one out of a bed sheet or something. I'll report back.

Catch Me If You Can (2002) - I love this film so much that I've written about it before, here. Leo AND Tom Hanks. Enough said.

The Pianist (2002) - I absolutely adore this film. It's shocking, difficult to watch at times, and it tells a very important story in a way which leaves you feeling pretty drained at the end, but I imagine that's the whole point. World War II has always been a period of history I've been interested in and this incredibly personal account of a Polish Jewish pianist is one which had a big impact on me the first time I watched it, sat in a GCSE History classroom (over 10 years ago now, which is slightly disconcerting...) and it's stayed with me ever since, pulling me back in time and time again.

Steve Jobs (2015) - I remember the reception to this film being mixed on release, but knowing very little about Steve Jobs and the development of Apple, I found it to be a really interesting story. If you're looking for a good documentary, I'd recommend the BBC one, Billion Dollar Hippy, which I watched after seeing the film, but as far as biopics go, I enjoyed this a lot. Plus Fassbender is the man, so, there's that too.

Side note: When I was thinking about how to tackle this, I ended up with a list as long as my arm, so here are a few that I haven't managed to include, but really enjoy: Schindler's List (1993), The Last King of Scotland (2006), The Edge of Love (2008), The Imitation Game (2014).