BlacKkKlansman
2018
Directed by Spike Lee
BlacKkKlansman, based on the 2014 memoir Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth, is a biographical drama about a black detective who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. The film succeeds, incongruously, both as fast-paced procedural and incisive political critique.
Would see.
Bound for Glory
Directed by Hal Ashby
1976
Bound for Glory is a biopic that takes its name and main character (and little else) from Woody Guthrie’s 1943 autobiography. Bound for Glory intermittently understands Woody Guthrie’s greatness. His songs are well integrated, but there could be more of them. The film benefits by not covering his whole life, but it fulfills almost every other cliché of the genre.
Would see.
The Social Network
Directed by David Fincher
2010
Adapted from Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book, The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal, The Social Network is a drama about Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook. The dialogue, written by Aaron Sorkin, is fast-paced and invariably clever. The acting and cinematography are convincing and unobjectionable. The story itself, is well-crafted, but sometimes feels too clever by half.
Would see.
All the President’s Men
Directed by Alan J. Pakula
1976
All the President’s Men, based on Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s non-fiction book of the same name, is about Woodward and Bernstein’s investigation of the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post. The film captures the look and rhythm of journalism better than its imitators. The pacing is compelling, but the ending feels rushed.
Would see.
Spotlight
Directed by Tom McCarthy
2015
Spotlight is a biographical drama about the Boston Globe’s investigation into child sex abuse by Catholic priests. Spotlight is very well executed, though with little stylistic ambition, and tackles its subject seriously, though without the boldness and daring of the journalists it chronicles.
Would see.
The Big Short
Directed by Adam McKay
2015
The Big Short, based on Michael Lewis’s 2010 book, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, is a biographical comedy-drama that follows investors who short the housing market in the financial crisis of 2007-2008. The Big Short impressively navigates a tricky balance between information and entertainment, but its political message, though often incisive, at times threatens to subsume the many-threaded story.
Would see.
Fitzcarraldo
Directed by Werner Herzog
1982
Fitzcarraldo is a surreal drama, loosely based on a historical event, about an Irishman in Peru who attempts to move a steamship over a steep hill to finance the construction of an opera house. Herzog famously transported a 320-ton steamship over a hill in the production of the film (and received criticism for his often contentious relations with the local indigenous Peruvian population). The film is operatic and ambitious. Herzog takes strong positions on nature and art, but his understanding of self-destructive determination at times surpasses his apparent grasp of intercultural interaction and more prosaic human motivations.
Would see.
Bonnie and Clyde
Directed by Arthur Penn
1967
Bonnie and Clyde is a biographical crime film that follows the two eponymous criminals around the American Southwest. The film is violent, striking, and fast with well-crafted visuals and quick editing. Bonnie and Clyde has an unusual and interesting portrayal of the relation between crime and sex and an unexpected attention to character, but a lack of reflection and cohesion hinder the film’s thematic message.
Would see.
Steve Jobs
Directed by Danny Boyle
2015
Steve Jobs is a biopic of the eponymous co-founder of Apple. Poor directing weighs down the film’s near perfect writing and acting.
Would see.
I’m Not There
Directed by Todd Haynes
2007
I’m Not There is a biographical musical drama in which six actors play Bob Dylan. Save a few standout scenes, the originality and creativity of the premise ultimately fails to save the film from its poor execution.
Would not see.
Micro Film Reviews 