The Biopic Was Once the Cheesiest of Genres. How Did It Become the Most Thrilling?
variety.comOwen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic The Hollywood biographical drama — or biopic, to use the word that always makes it sound like a dental instrument — is enjoying its mega-moment. “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s three-hour epic about the father of the atomic bomb, proved that a story-of-a-life movie could be as big and coruscating as the cosmos; not so incidentally, it’s garnered Nolan the most ecstatic reviews of his career.
Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” has also won audiences and acclaim. In telling the story of Priscilla Presley, who met Elvis when she was 14 and spent six years married to a slowly dissolving mirage, the film takes us through the looking glass of pop-music fame.
In Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” the lives of Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre, become a rapturous study in love, sexuality, bigotry, creativity and the mysteries of marriage.
And “Ferrari,” Michael Mann’s upcoming drama about the Italian automaker, is a film accomplished enough to feel like “Grand Prix” crossed with “The Godfather.” All these movies are awards contenders, and each of them, in a different way, is enthralling.
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