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Music biopics are a tricky business. There have been a number of high profile films about musicians in recent years, ranging from truly inspired and innovative to competent to embarrassingly bad. Finding the right actors, navigating copyright laws, deciding how closely to adhere to facts and chronology, finding the right editor: so many things to consider.
Which leads to this week’s discussion prompt: Which artists would you like to see portrayed in a music biopic? What is it about these artists that you believe would make for a compelling film? Which actors do you think would be the best choice to play them? Should the film be a straightforward chronological narrative, or would it benefit from being a bit less grounded in reality?
(But if you’d rather just discuss the best and the worst of existing music biopics, or feel like recommending some favorites, have at it!)
At the top of my list of artists I’d love to see a biopic about is Mark E. Smith and the Fall. I doubt Hollywood would have much interest in it, but Smith’s surely a well-enough known figure in the U.K. and had an eventful enough public and private life that a biopic isn’t out of the question. Smith was a unique character to say the least, and with all the drinking, drugs, relationships, brushes with mainstream success, line-up changes (66 members in 41 years), fighting (sometimes onstage) and everything else that comes with the Smith/Fall story, a compelling film could be made that even those unfamiliar with Smith or the band might enjoy.
As for actors that could portray Smith, I haven’t seen him in enough things to know if he has the chops to pull it off, but DJ Qualls sort of resembles him physically. Smith himself thought that Brad Pitt might be a good choice for the part.
As for “grounded in reality”? When the truth is at times stranger than fiction (WARNING: the story in the link describes a violent death), no need to exaggerate or intentionally make things any more surreal than they really were, though a dramatisation in the style of 24 Hour Party People (with perhaps one of the longer-serving/suffering former band members as our guide for the journey) could work really well. But at the same time, one needs to consider both the good and the bad. From a Pitchfork article about the late Fall front man:
At his best, he was a sharp, witty lyricist and vocalist with unparalleled style, delivery, and vision, to whom any number of post-punk and indie-rock bands owe an enormous debt. At his worst, he was a petty, controlling man with significant substance abuse issues that heightened his most malevolent tendencies and often manifested via verbal and physical violence towards those closest to him. Neither end of the spectrum of his character can be taken without the other.
Focusing too much on Smith at his worst could make for a dire and draining viewing experience, but to downplay or ignore these aspects of his character completely would just be dishonest. At any rate, in the right hands a genuinely enthralling film could be made about Smith and the Fall.
As usual, any and all music-related topics are welcome. Have fun, and as always, rock out with yr guac out!