cinemadiso's - Top 10 Biopics List

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"Amadeus" triumphs as gripping human drama, sumptuous period epic, glorious celebration of the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It's 1781 and Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) is the competent court composer to Emperor Joseph II.

When Mozart (Tom Hulce) arrives at court, Salieri is horrified to discover that the godlike musical gifts he desires for himself have been bestowed on a bawdy, impish jokester. Mad with envy, he plots to destroy Mozart by any means. Perhaps, even murder.

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By strumming his guitar with words of inspiration, Woody Guthrie instilled hope in the hearts of downtrodden Americans everywhere during the 1930s' Depression. It's 1936, and the Great Depression is forcing droves of people from the dust bowls of Texas to the alluring green fields of California...

and unemployed sign-painter Woody Guthrie (David Carradine) is among them. Determined to find a better life out west, Guthrie hitchhikes, hops freight trains and sings his way across America, uplifting the spirits of the poor with his homespun wisdom and fiercely fighting for a better life for all. Featuring classic Guthrie tunes including "This Land is Your Land", 'Bound for Glory' is a moving portrait of this inspiring 1930s American icon.

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In the acclaimed performance that earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress Sissy Spacek stars as legendary Loretta Lynn, the dirt poor Appalachian Mountains girl who rose from humble beginnings to become the "Queen of Country Music".

At eighteen, the mother of four children and busy housewife still finds time to write and sing songs at small fairs and local honky-tonks. Recognising her raw talent and huge potential, her ambitious husband Mooney (Tommy Lee Jones) prods her into making a record and going to Nashville. After a performance at the Grand Ole Opry the record becomes a smash hit launching her career to super stardom and changing the sound and style of country music forever.

Control is the story of the late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis's life, from the bands rise to fame to his tragic suicide. Control documents the relationships with both his wife and his girlfriend, his battle with epilepsy and the road to success with his band, Joy Division.

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The life of rock and roll legend Ritchie Valens bursts across the screen in this celebrated, music-filled movie with star-making performances by Lou Diamond Phillips as Richie and Esai Morales as his half-brother, Bob.

'La Bamba' depicts the 17-year-old Mexican-American's rocket rise to fame, from field laborer to rock star with a string of hit singles and a date with destiny. Fueled by Valens' hit songs performed by Grammy-award winning Los Lobos, as well as class '50s tunes, 'La Bamba' recreates the thrilling early days of rock and pays homage to the enduring legacy of a remarkable talent whose music crossed all borders.

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Nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, "Ray" stars Oscar winner Jamie Foxx as the one-of-a-kind innovator of soul who overcame impossible odds to become a music legend. It's the triumphant and remarkable story of one of America's true musical geniuses, Ray Charles.

Witness the incredible true story of a musician who fought harder and went further than anyone could imagine.

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Inspired by the true story of Australian child prodigy David Helfgott (Geoffrey Rush), Shine examines his journey from a childhood dominated by an overbearing father to his nervous breakdown as a young adult.

When David is accepted to a prestigious music school in London as a teen, he's only too happy to escape his home life and pursue his passion for classical music. But his father's rejection and the pressures of mastering such concertos as Rachmaninoff's lead to his downward spiral into mental illness. Only the love of the one woman who truly understands him (Lynn Redgrave) can help him re-enter society and his musical gift with the world.

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On October 12th, 1978, Nancy Spungen was found stabbed to death in a bathroom at the Chelsea Hotel, New York. Her lover Sid Vicious, bassist for punk rock legends The Sex Pistols, was immediately arrested for her murder, and died of a drugs overdose whilst awaiting trial.

Alex Cox's seminal film takes us on a darkly humorous, visually stunning journey that begins with Sid and Nancy's initial meeting during the rise of British Punk during the late seventies and follows their decline into nightmarish, drug induced squalor in New York City. Visceral, unflinching and ultimately tragic, this is the dark side of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Love kills.

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In Walk the Line, Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix powerfully portrays Johnny Cash, a young, passionate artist who rebelled against convention, revolutionised music, and always walked his own path regardless of the consequences.

His troubled past, along with his outlaw persona, unbridled talent and passion for the woman he was destined to be with, led him on a path of self-destruction. Reese Witherspoon gives a Academy Award winning performance as June Carter, the greatest love of his life.

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Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne rock the screen in TINA-WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, the powerful true life story of rock 'n' roll legend Tina Turner. Born Anna Mae Bullock, a small town girl with a one-of-a-kind voice, Tina meets and falls in love with charismatic musician Ike Turner.

Together, Ike and Tina skyrocket to the top of the music world, only to come crashing back to earth as their life in the fast lane spins out of control. From the lowest lows to the highest highs, Tina Turner has lived, survived and triumphed over it all. Filled with high-energy music and electric performances, this critically acclaimed smash hit will leave you singing, dancing and cheering.