More often than not, I have found movies based on real people and events very gripping to watch. It's true it's not always historically accurate in every way, but as long as its wellmade that doesn't matter.

The Elephant Man, A Beautiful Mind and Dog Day Afternoon are some of the very best ones since they tell very powerful human stories in a way which makes you emotionally attached and feel like you are there with them.

Of course, it doesn't always have to follow those rules. Sometimes they are just really suspenseful and exciting (Escape From Alcatraz, All The President's Men, Insider).

As for poor examples, I only have 4. Hitchcock felt like a huge missed opportunity, since it could have perfectly encapsulated a man with a brilliant eye for directing, what drives his passion. Granted we did get to know a bit about him personally, but not a whole lot about what makes him... you know, a genius. There were some cool bits, like the perfect Anthony Perkins look and sound-alike, but mostly we just saw A. Hitchcock eating, be a jerk... oh, and his wife is having an affair in a tropical resort. Who cares?
Paradise Found had the same problem, even though we got to know a lot about his personal life, what exactly makes Paul Gauguin one of the finest artists to grace the earth? All kudos to Kiefer Sutherland for giving his all in the role, but the experience left me disappointed.

Oh, and let's not even talk about The Bling Ring and Marie Antoinette. Those SUCKED!

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

'Raging Bull' surely? The recent 'Jackie' was not a true biography but was a fascinating slice of life type watch.

Can you count 'The Assassination of Jesse James'? .

Schindler's List?

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

A Beautiful Mind

I have found many movies which are based on the real life of famous personalities. Most of these movie are very intresrting and are uniques. These type of movies are inpiration movies but Some of the movies are waste of time like Raging Bull and the Beautiful mind. The reviews and the trailer fo these movies are very intresting but it's totally waste of time.

Raging Bull
The Assasination of Jesse James
Goodfellas
The Libertine
Bang the Drum Slowly
The Last Emperor
The Miracle Worker
Papillon
All That Jazz
Serpico

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

Hachi.... ekh... No! Baltooo................!!

Wait thai ain't p

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

Raging Bull

I haven't seen much biopics

Oh damn, that's a good one. Fantastic movie.

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

Lawrence of Arabia

Mike, I can’t agree with you here. Nash’s hallucinations are inserted into the movie in such a way that no even reasonably intelligent viewer could discern or guess that they were hallucinations assuming that such viewers were unfamiliar with Dr. Nash and his condition. It wasn’t like a whodunit which inserts clues in the course of the plot. The hallucinations are simply inserted in a totally plausible manner as if they were just other scenes in total continuity with the plot. It wasn’t as if afterwards the viewer would admonish himself with: “Of course! Why didn’t I catch on?!” It was somewhat similar to the television show Dallas’s notorious “dream season” In order to resurrect a major character who had been killed off. To me, this made the entire movie pointless as with the retroactive “fantasy” Dallas season.

Another factor was trying to make the most decidedly photogenic heartthrob Russell Crowe look nerdy by having him put his glasses on crooked. This ranks almost up there with Superman's disguise as Clark Kent, a pair of eyeglasses.

I LOVED Jackie...Portman was brilliant.

This movie bored the crap out of me.

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

Malcolm X (1992)

Good one, Camo. I can't believe I forgot to add that one, and "Jackie" to my list.

Of course, there are many more that can be mentioned, like Bonny and Clyde, The Gene Krupa Story, Dillinger, etc.

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

Yeah, it's an amazing movie, but every time I've watched it I've felt exhausted at the end.

sorry to say but as we know everyone has different taste. I am not like this movie.

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

Lawrence of Arabia

Watch Alien: Covenant Online

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

Gentleman Jim
The Pride of the Yankees
The Life of Emile Zola

Re: Best and worst biography movies
 

Underrated: Lincoln (2012)

Perfect marriage of material and director led by another imposing performance from DDL (he makes benign awe inspiring).

It's worth watching for the verbal gymnastics in display, each line delivered to perfection by one of the best ensambles of all time.

It's a great work of passion and detail, plus it's the best use of Janusz Kaminski who's predilection for faded colors gives the whole thing a deeply melancholy feel.

But that's how hallucinations are. They feel real, and, because of that, it proves there is something significantly wrong with that person's brain. To discount a movie for doing it differently than how you perceive hallucinations to be is silly.