Uniqueness

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"A question has been nagging me for a while and recently intensified upon seeing Frost/Nixon," writes a reader named Mat (one "t" -- not a typo). "Why are Hollywood biographies so vapid? Every one i see is 'just line 'em up and knock 'em down,' straight facts, predictable arc. it leaves each film at the mercy of how interesting the given subject is, but rarely captures the essence of said subject.

"I'm thinking specifically of Martin Scorsese's Bob Dylan doc of a few years ago (i.e., No Direction Home), which brought such a vivid feel to the man's life and experiences instead of just telling the reader what happened in his life. An interesting life is one thing, but what makes the subject unique is what I'm after, and nothing ever seems to capture that. Or am i simply asking for too much?

"Frost/Nixon is a good movie because it's an interesting story, but i felt no closeness to it. This happens over and over again and now, as I prepare to see Milk -- a movie i want to like -- I fear another by-the-numbers only-as-good-as-the-subject biopic coming at me. Is it strange to ask for more than just a vivid recreation, or are we shortchanging these stories by accepting that there is nothing more? Can you suggest any films for me which transcend the genre to get more of what i'm thinking of?"

Wells to Mat: Frost/Nixon isn't a biopic -- it's a compressed situational drama about a specific chapter in the life of Richard Nixon. Milk is absorbing as ar as it goes, but if you want to really bask in the light of what made Harvey Milk exceptional, you need to see Rob Epstein's The Times of Harvey Milk. My favorite biopics with exceptional and particular flavorings: Viva Zapata, Patton, Raging Bull, Sergeant York, Lawrence of Arabia, Lust for Life. These are the ones that come to mind, at least.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 14, 2008 at 11:36 AM

comment #1

Chase Kahn says ...

I agree with what he's saying -- MILK and FROST/NIXON are good movies, but I think any schmoe director could come in and make those films resonant because of the subject matter.

MILK is a different animal than FROST/NIXON, though (and a bit better) because of the sensetivity of the subject, timeliness, performances, etc.

I could have made FROST/NIXON a good movie, especially with the cast just reprising their roles from the stage play -- and I wouldnt' add distracting, repetitive moc-umentary interviews that add no depth whatsoever.

Posted by Chase Kahn at December 14, 2008 12:11 PM

comment #2

K. Bowen says ...

Ah, I finally found the right phrase to describe Frost/Nixon. Dignified mediocrity.

It's .... fine. It's .... AOK.

Posted by K. Bowen at December 14, 2008 12:11 PM

comment #3

K. Bowen says ...

Chase Kahn: "and I wouldnt' add distracting, repetitive moc-umentary interviews that add no depth whatsoever."

This is a quote from my F/N review:

"If Howard had directed Citizen Kane, it would end with an interview of Joseph Cotton. He would look right into the camera and tell you that yes, indeed, Rosebud was Kane’s childhood sled. And that its loss made him the man he became. And that it symbolized his vanished innocence. And that it was the single greatest sled ever made. "

Posted by K. Bowen at December 14, 2008 12:14 PM

comment #4

Adonis says ...

Lawrence of Arabia is a wonderful film. It is, however, much lacking in veracity.

It is a beautiful work of fiction. So, if a director wants to make an historically accurrate biopic, Lawrence of Arabia really shouldn't be a model.

Posted by Adonis at December 14, 2008 12:19 PM

comment #5

cinefan says ...

Speaking of Bob Dylan, I would mention I'm Not There as an example of a fresh approach to the traditional biopic.

Posted by cinefan at December 14, 2008 12:21 PM

comment #6

lazarus says ...

Agree with the above. I'm not sure that bringing Scorsese's No Direction Home into it is fair, because it has the benefit of being a documentary, where the subject himself (as well as others) is able to reflect on the past from a place of hindsight. Biopics don't really have that luxury, they have to dramatize without (hopefully) overexplaining.

But I'm Not There truly did give the "essence" of Dylan, even if it didn't really tell you one specific thing about his actual life, just reflections of familiar events.

Posted by lazarus at December 14, 2008 12:35 PM

comment #7

Phatang! says ...

Funny that he wrote that BEFORE seeing "Milk."

What a terrible movie. Sean Penn robbed the man of his charisma, and the filmmakers robbed him of his complexity.

Posted by Phatang! at December 14, 2008 12:39 PM

comment #8

George Prager says ...

I want to see it but I know that I'll be disappointed. Movies like FROST/NIXON are the Killian's Irish Red of film.

Posted by George Prager at December 14, 2008 12:39 PM

comment #9

p.Vice says ...

More like O'Douls, Prager.

Posted by p.Vice at December 14, 2008 5:04 PM

comment #10

nemo says ...

George Prager in the house! Where have you been keeping yourself the last couple of months, George? We've been missing you.

Posted by nemo at December 14, 2008 6:04 PM

comment #11

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Posted by lisica at December 14, 2008 6:53 PM

comment #12

shanana says ...

I hate biopics as a general rule. They are rarely honest, rarely interesting, and mostly sappy Oscar bait. The ones I do like usually involve crime, like "In Cold Blood" or "Zodiac."

I just don't see the point watching "Frost/Nixon" knowing that I can rent the Frost/Nixon interviews on DVD and form my own opinion, without all the made up bullshit the movie presents that taints the truth of it.

I hate all the phony conversations and characters that these movies create for convenience of storytelling. The Tom Hanks character immediately comes to mind in "Catch Me If You Can." It's a lie, and after that, the movie isn't really a biopic. It's a movie base on a person or event. The whole thing just seems like a lazy endeavor - Lazy filmmaking, lazy audience. I'd rather watch a documentary.

Posted by shanana at December 15, 2008 1:03 AM

comment #13

lonniechung says ...

Shanana - I completely agree with you about the 'lazy' part, but I really do enjoy learning about stuff that actually happened. As far as the lying goes, well that's a much trickier subject. Frost/Nixon was the final straw in this battle after a couple of weeks of watching movies based on actual events or straight biopics, specifically Basquiat and Pollack. Part of the reason I went back to watch Basquiat and Pollack is because I wanted to see if there was something there that I had missed the first time around (there wasn't). So the question arose: "Why make a movie about an artist?" What drove me to write Wells in the first place is a frustration that maybe I'm looking for something that does not exist - a movie that captures more feeling than fact when dealing with a "factual" subject. Thanks for the suggestions Wells, the couple I haven't seen are greatly appreciated.

Posted by lonniechung at December 15, 2008 7:19 AM

comment #14

Howlingman says ...

I think BioPics are doomed to fail when they favor the "cradle to the grave" approach, of which CHAPLIN is the most egregious failure. Pick the most pivotal, interesting period of the subject's life and do that. If the subject was a man (or woman) of action, make it an action film. If they were a criminal, make a crime film. If they were a romantic ... you get the point.

Posted by Howlingman at December 16, 2008 7:51 AM

comment #15

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comment #16