The Alto Knights (2025)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Cast: Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis
Running Time: 123 minutes

 

This film is inspired by the true story of the power struggle between Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two childhood friends who became top bosses within the Mafia. After Genovese called a hit on his rival, and Costello barely survived, things took a turn that would alter things forever.

It was an interesting choice to have De Niro pull double duty here and play both main roles, but, if anyone could pull it off, it was the 81-year-old actor known for so many great roles. De Niro pulls it off superbly here. The supporting cast is also very good.

Sure, The Alto Knights doesn’t have the same panache as some of the other classics of the Mafia genre of cinema, but it is still a very good movie.

Rating: ««««

Lee (2023)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Ellen Kuras
Cast: Kate Winslet, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgard
Running Time: 116 minutes

 

This film tells the story of Lee Miller, a former fitness model turned photographer. Working for Vogue Magazine, she would go overseas during World War II to capture images from the war zones.

This film is so compelling, and the dedication of Kate Winslet to the role of Lee Miller is easy to see in her performance on screen. She comes off the screen and make you believe that character so deeply, with all its flaws, its strength and its vulnerabilities. Kudos to her. The supporting cast was also solid.

This is a powerful film. The end did pack quite a punch for me. I intend on watching that one again somewhere down the line.

Rating: «««««

The Unbreakable Boy (2025)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Jon Gunn
Cast: Zachary Levi, Jacob Laval, Meghann Fahy
Time: 109 minutes

 

Scott and Teresa LeRette are a young couple with two children, the oldest of which is called Austin. Austin is autistic and he also suffers from a rare condition that makes his bones brittle. As his eldest son grows, Scott finds it harder to relate to him and to make him happy, which causes a lot of strain on the marriage and on the whole family.

This film is based on a book that relates the true story of a very special boy. It is a movie with lots of charm. It is touching. It is well delivered on screen. It is not without clichés, but it offers some good entertainment.

Rating: «««

A Complete Unknown (2024)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: James Mangold
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning
Time: 141 minutes

 

Based on 2015 Elijah Wald book titled Dylan Goes Electric, this film chronicles the early career of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, from his move to New York City in an effort to meet his idol, the recently hospitalized Woody Guthrie ; to his rise to fame, and to the infamous moment, in 1965, where Dylan got on stage with a band at the Newport Folk Festival and used electrical instruments, causing massive controversy but bringing his career to a whole other level.

This is such a good movie. Timothée Chalamet is amazing as Dylan. He brings the young Dylan to life with such brilliance. The supporting cast is also very strong. Edward Norton was so believable as Peter Seeger.

Overall, this is a film I plan on seeing again, a few more times.

Rating: «««««

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter
Running Time: 143 minutes

 

This film offers a greatly fictionalized account of Robert Stroud’s life. Stroud was imprisoned for murder as a young man. In prison, he killed a guard and was sentenced to solitary confinement. While at Leavenworth Prison, for some 30 years, he raised and trained birds, becoming an ornithologist. He was then transferred to Alcatraz, where he lost access to his birds.

This film is long and is not overfilled with dialogue, but it is well worth the effort. Burt Lancaster was amazing as Robert Stroud. And the supporting cast was also good too. The filmmakers were accused of making Stroud a much more sympathetic figure than he really was. That is Hollywood for you. That being said, this is a very, very good film.

Rating: ««««

1995 (2024)

Genre: Franco / Biographical / Comedy
Réalisateur: Ricardo Trogi
Distribution: Jean-Carl Boucher, Sandrine Bisson, Claudio Colangelo
Durée: 120 minutes

 

À l’âge de 25 ans, Ricordo Trogi voit sa vie artistique basculer quand il est choisi comme participant à la Course destination monde, une émission de Radio-Canada qui l’amènera à voyager partout dans le monde pour produire de petits films. En Égypte, son périple sera ardu et le verra tout tenter pour tourner un film sur un sujet pas très évident : l’excision.

Ce film se veut la suite de la trilogie biographique réalisée par Ricardo Trogi : 1981, 1987 et 1991. Dans ces films, Trogi raconte son histoire à différents moments de sa vie. À mon humble avis, ce quatrième opus est son mieux réussi.

Vraiment, 1995 est un film solide. C’est drôle, c’est touchant ; on traverse toute la gamme des émotions en 2 heures. En plus, je suis à un moment de ma vie qui me permet de comprendre bien des nuances dans cette œuvre. Alors, disons que ce film tombe pile pour moi.

Note: «««««

Bleed for This (2016)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Ben Younger
Cast: Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal
Running Time: 117 minutes

 

This biographical film tells the story of former world champion boxer Vinny Pazienza, who ended up with a severe neck injury following a car accident. Told by doctors that he might never walk again and that he certainly will never fight again, Pazienza defies the odds and makes a comeback.

The success of this film lies heavily on the shoulders of Miles Teller, who is solid in the lead role. He does such a great job. The supporting cast is good too. Some of the stuff is a little clichéd, but, overall, very enjoyable movie.

Rating: ««««

Saturday Night (2024)

Genre: Biographical / Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt
Time: 109 minutes

 

This film details the events leading to the TV show NBC’s Saturday Night — later known as Saturday Night Live — first going on the air in October 1975, with a hectic schedule, technical difficulties, NBC execs not fully on board and a dysfunctional cast.

As a big fan of Saturday Night Live, I wanted to see this film, but I had some apprehensions. I was worried about this depiction of reality feeling like a caricature that messes with the substance of the subject. There is none of that here. You can tell the filmmakers loved the subject, and the cast members were great in their respective roles.

Brilliant film. The pace was crazy, but it was what was needed to convey what happened that night.

Rating: «««««

Back to Black (2024)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Cast: Marisa Abela, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan
Time: 122 minutes

 

This biographical drama covers the life of English soul-jazz singer Amy Winehouse, from her quick rise to international fame to her untimely death, due to alcohol poisoning and bulimia, at the young age of 27.

I was really excited to see this movie. I was a fan of Winehouse’s voice and songs, and I understand quite well the issue of addiction, so it makes for a compelling subject for me. Unfortunately, this movie left me disappointed. The filmmakers tiptoed around the issue, not wanting to ruffle feathers in Winehouse’s living entourage, and the result ended up being bland and formulaic.

What saved this for me was Marisa Abela’s performance. What a solid job she did bringing Amy Winehouse back to life on screen. She did it justice. Too bad the rest of the movie did not pull its share of the weight.

Rating: «««

Lone Survivor (2013)

Genre: Biographical / Action
Directed by: Peter Berg
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster
Time: 121 minutes

 

Set during the war in Afghanistan, this film is a dramatized account of the true events of Operation Red Wings, where the US Navy SEALs were unsuccessful in their mission to track down Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. This film is based on the non-fiction book of the same name, written by Marcus Luttrell, who ended up being the lone survivor of his group.

This film offers a really compelling account of courage and survival, and of honor in the face of danger. Some of those scenes felt so real, I could feel the pain of the characters on screen. Some solid acting across the board. Took me a while to get hooked, but, by the end, I was truly in.

Rating: ««««

Becoming Jane (2007)

Genre: Biographical / Romance / Drama
Directed by: Julian Jarrold
Cast: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters
Time: 120 minutes

 

This biographical romantic drama tells the story of Jane Austen as a young woman. She is an aspiring author and remains unmarried. The suitor she is expected to marry does not strike her fancy, and then Thomas Langlois Lefroy, a young lawyer with a bad reputation, comes into her life, turning everything upside down for the young lady. While it might be an impossible love, the heart wants what the heart wants.

This film is fine for what it is. The acting is good, the story is interesting. Stories from that era are not really my cup of tea, but this is not a bad movie. 

Rating: «««

Behind the Candelabra (2013)

Genre: Biographical / Drama / Comedy
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Dan Aykroyd
Time: 118 minutes

 

This is a dramatized version of the last 10 years in the life of famous pianist Liberace and an account of his relationship with Scott Thorson, who was young member of his entourage with whom he was said to have had an intimate relationship. The movie is based on the book of the same name. 

As you can imagine a movie about Liberace to be, it is flamboyant and camp. This film is carried by strong performances from Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. It is amazing that such a strong cast and director were involved in what basically was a TV movie. Very entertaining.

Rating: ««««

The Iron Claw (2023)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Sean Durkin
Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson
Time: 132 minutes

 

This film offers a dramatized version of the true story of Fritz Von Erich, a wrestler and wrestling promoter in Texas who ran a promotion and raised his sons within the business, and his family. Over the years, the Von Erich family was struck by multiple tragedies.

The main cast did a bang-on job here in the lead roles. Some of the support cast, such as the guy playing Ric Flair, were much weaker, on the other hand. The complete exclusion of one the Von Erich boys (Chris) from the story was a weird choice, but I understand not wanting the film to be too long.

Overall, this is a touching story about hardship and resilience. It may not be the greatest film to see if you are depressed, but the subject matters of wrestling and the Von Erich family were treated with respect. I enjoyed it.

Rating: ««««

Priscilla (2023)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Dominczyk
Running time: 113 minutes

 

Based on the 1985 memoirs Elvis and Me, written by Priscilla Presley, this film tells the story of the relationship between Priscilla Beaulieu and rockstar Elvis Presley, from their first meeting in Germany, when she was only 14, to her leaving him years later.

What a life these two lived together. This film offers a very artistic look at that roller-coaster of a life. I loved how Coppola sped-up on the telling of some events, to show that Elvis would just get his way anyhow. I also found that using Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You as Priscilla leaves Elvis was a nice touch. That was one of those songs that got away, so to speak.

Cailee Spaeny was very good in the title role. Jacob Elordi, on the other hand, suffered from the comparisons to Austin Butler, who brilliantly played the King in Elvis. Some weird acting choices were made here, such as the constant holding of the belt buckle, the constant smoking and the exaggerated mumbling. Older Elvis mumbled a lot, but not the Elvis from the period shown here. He was often hard to understand in this film. As for the smoking, he sometimes smoked cigarillos, but not as much as shown here.

Beyond some details, this is a very good film that serves as an interesting counterpart to Lurhmann’s Elvis.

Rating: ««««

Big George Foreman (2023)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: George Tillman Jr.
Cast: Kris Davis, Jasmine Matthews, Forest Whitaker
Time: 129 minutes

 

This film relates the story of heavyweight boxer George Foreman, who overcame a youth of extreme poverty to become Olympic champion and then World Heavyweight boxing champion. After a fall from grace, he quits his sport, finds his faith, and becomes a preacher. Financial troubles bring him back to boxing, and, at the age of 45, he becomes the oldest world champion in the history of the sport.

The story of George Foreman is very compelling in itself. It is easy enough to root for the man. So, I roll my eyes a little bit a times when the filmmakers were laying it on thick in places. Still, the cast did a good job, and I was entertained.

Rating: «««

Oppenheimer (2023)

Genre: Biographical
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr.
Time: 180 minutes

 

Based on the 2005 biography titled American Prometheus, this film tells the story of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, with a particular focus on his studies, on his leadership of the Manhattan Project during World War II and on his fall from grace following a 1954 security hearing launched by some enemies he had made over the years.

This is a brilliant film. It requires the viewer’s full attention, going back and forth through the time period discussed, but it is well worth the effort. The subject matter deals with a fascinating part of American history and it is all brought to life on screen by a talented director and a great ensemble cast. Visually speaking, also, this movie never ceases to amaze. I fully intend on seeing this one again and again.

Rating: «««««

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Kasi Lemmons
Cast: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders
Time: 146 minutes

 

This film goes over the life and career of Whitney Houston, from her beginnings in New Jersey with a mother that was a singer herself to her shot to superstardom, with the pitfalls that it can bring into one’s existence.

I was never the biggest Whitney Houston fan. I guess I never was her target audience. That being said, this movie was a great eye opener for me in regard to her impact on music. Her story is compelling and well told on screen. Most of the performances were good, though a few were a little overplayed. Minor detail, but still: I find the title too long ; adding the artist’s name to it seemed like a weird choice to me.

Rating: ««««

Air (2023)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis
Time: 112 minutes

 

This film based on true events tells the story on how Nike, then a neglected underdog in the sports shoe business, made a tremendous deal by convincing rookie basketball player Michael Jordan to sign with them and by building the Air Jordan sneaker around him.

This was a captivating tale of guts, determination and taking a chance in spite of uncertainty. Affleck did a good job as actor and director and the ensemble cast also did great work bringing this incredible story to the screen.

Rating: «««««

Chartrand et Simonne (2003)

Genre: TV / Franco / Biographical
Distribution: Luc Picard, Geneviève Rioux
Nombre d’épisodes: 12

 

Cette mini-série québécoise raconte de façon légèrement romancée, sur 12 épisodes, l’histoire d’amour ainsi que d’engagement social et politique du syndicaliste Michel Chartrand et de sa femme, la figure sociale féministe Simonne Monet.

J’ai été un peu déçu en revisitant cette œuvre, qui était franchement meilleure dans mes souvenirs. Beaucoup des comédiens et comédiennes jouent gros et faux, et je crois qu’une grosse partie du blâme revient aux scénarios. On ne sent jamais que les personnages ont des conversations. Tout est projeté comme un discours. La seule grâce qui ressort de cette mini-série est le travail de Luc Picard pour incarner Michel Chartrand. Il est criant de vérité, c’est incroyable. Quelques-unes de ses répliques m’ont bien fait rire aussi. L’aspect de l’histoire du Québec était aussi intéressante à voir. Mais, dans l’ensemble, c’est une œuvre de télé qui a bien mal vieilli.

Rating: ««

The Swimmers (2022)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Sally El Hosaini
Starring: Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa, Ahmed Malek
Running time: 134 minutes

 

This film is inspired by the true story of Yusra Mardini, a teenage swimmer who left Damascus with her sister Sara and her older cousin, as refugees, hoping to reach Germany and make it to the Olympics.

Maybe it was the mood I was in, but I found it hard to get into this one. I was tired, so, between the music, the loudness and the sub-titles, the start felt aggressive. But, once I was hooked, I was fully engrossed in this inspiring story. Good acting and compelling story. It is amazing to think of what all these people go through to make a better life for themselves.

Rating: ««««