While the undisputed champion, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is currently at “a bit of a low point ” (Deadpool’s words not mine) the question of “superhero fatigue ” is once again entering the conversation. With both Marvel and DC banking on the audience’s continued interest, it doesn’t seem like the end is in sight, but what could the next big thing in Hollywood be?

Toy Story

Hollywood studios like to chase trends. If one studio has made something that’s making a lot of money, they try to do the same thing. It’s fair to say that cinema has had a rough few years since the Covid-19 pandemic. The biggest hit post-pandemic has undoubtedly been Barbie, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year, as well as the highest-grossing film from Warner Brothers and 15th highest of all time. Mattel has started development on films based around some of its other IP in an effort to recreate its success. Hasbro has been in the business of making films about its products for a while, with the Transformers and G.I. JOE franchises. The Lego Movie was a surprise hit, managing to spawn a franchise, including a Batman spin-off.

However, the Lego franchise reached diminishing returns very quickly. With four films in five years, the series quickly lost steam at the box office. Plans for the series are still in development, and the success of Barbie has likely reignited interest. Both Barbie and The Lego Movie benefit from being their directors, Greta Gerwig, Phil Lord and Chris Miller are very unique and distinctive voices, and it’s fair to say that the films would not have been anywhere near as successful without their vision. Would a director be able to find a compelling story about the human condition in an Uno film?

Life Story

Of course, Barbie didn’t do it alone. The other half of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, was also a huge hit and went on to win the Best Picture Oscar. It follows in the wake of several other high-profile biopics, including Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. Biopics, have been around for a while, but seem to be much more high profile lately, especially ones centred around musicians. With films about Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and each of the Beatles in development, it doesn’t seem like they will be going away anytime soon.

But at the risk of running into “Biopic fatigue” it’s not just musicians that are in consideration. We’ve had Ferrari and House of Gucci (both starring Adam Driver) as well as Le Man’s 66. There is always another incredible story to show on screen, although these often end up being rather one-sided (something Oppenheimer managed to avoid) and can run into trouble from family members. Or even having to change the narrative to make a more coherent film. The Iron Claw, for all its success, has an even more tragic story in real life. The biggest hurdle is probably that the audience for one film does not always mean they will see another. Oppenheimer and Ferrari are both period pieces, but they have very little in common, and it’s hard to find subjects that reach such a wide audience. But then again, Christopher Nolan made nuclear physics compelling, so anything is possible

Final Thoughts

As fun as it is to speculate, it is almost impossible to predict what the next trend will be until we are in it. It was hard for anyone to believe that superheroes would be the next big thing when Iron Man hit screens in 2008 or that the reign would last this long. With Deadpool and Wolverine being the fastest-grossing R-rated film of all time, it seems unlikely that superheroes are going away just yet. Joker: Folie a Deux is entering new territory with the first full superhero musical (although The Marvels technically had a musical number), but Hollywood seems averse to musicals and rarely advertises films as such. Only time will tell, but there will certainly be plenty of discussion about it until we get there.

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What’s Going On?

As World War 2 rumbles on the American government recruits brilliant physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to build an atomic bomb, a weapon made possible by recent scientific theories. Nazi Germany is also working on this weapon and had a huge head-start over America. Oppenheimer brings together every resource America has to achieve the impossible against an ongoing backdrop of political turmoil, internal conflict and managing a team of brilliant but at times extremely difficult scientists.

In Front Of The Camera

The role of Oppenheimer is played by Cillian Murphy; an actor who has been giving consistently great performances for over 20 years, whether it’s as a charismatic gangster in 1920s Birmingham or a survivor of a zombie apocalypse. Murphy has worked with Nolan before in the Dark Knight series, Inception and Dunkirk. Matt Damon plays Leslie Groves, the military man tasked with getting Oppenheimer what he needs and ensuring this is done in the correct way. Emily Blunt plays Kitty Oppenheimer, wife of the title character, Blunt has played everyone from Mary Poppins to Mech-armour wearing war hero Rita to Fizzelpop Berrytwist. The cast is packed with great actors – Kenneth Branagh, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek…the list goes on and there is no way to talk about them all here.

Behind The Scenes

Christopher Nolan is one of the most successful directors working today, he has made what is considered by some the greatest superhero film ever made, The Dark Knight as well as brilliant lower-budget films like Memento or The Prestige. He is known for his exacting standards and work ethic, being one of the few directors who can make blockbuster films that aren’t simply formula-driven franchises. The film is based on the 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.

Does It Work?

Oppenheimer is a great film. The film is structured around two courtroom-esque scenes – Oppenheimer appealing the decision to revoke his security clearance and the Senate approval of Lewis Strauss as position as Commerce Secretary. These are courtroom-esque as neither are trials nor in courtrooms, as is repeatedly made clear. As Oppenheimer is questioned about his past and Strass defends his own actions on his involvement with Oppenheimer. The audience sees Oppenheimer’s life play out starting at university; he studies in Europe (the best place to study quantum mechanics) and then returns to America to teach it. Through the 30s and 40s, the political turmoil of the time is always in the background – the rise of fascism, communism on university campuses and more. Then the central aspect of the film is the Manhattan Project itself, recruiting scientists, getting the resources and building a whole town to house the team. Then there is the aftermath, both Oppenheimer dealing with what he has done, his fame, as an advisor on atomic weapons and the battles over his suitability to advise the government. The film does not have a linear narrative, jumping back and forth between different periods, sometimes seemingly being instigated by questions asked of Oppenheimer or Strauss.

It is shown many times that Oppenheimer is a theoretical physicist, his laboratory work is atrocious, he likes to think about these things, study the theories and data and come up with his own theories. When news reaches the university that German scientists have split the atom Oppenheimer starts working on the mathematics, while a colleague rushes to replicate the results with their equipment. After checking the maths Oppenheimer is reassured it cannot be done, moments later his colleague returns announcing he’s just done it. And this man is put in charge of a truly immense project to turn theory into a practical device that will work in the real world. As mentioned in the film, Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt spelling out the potential of a weapon along the lines of an atomic bomb, and how something as abstract as E = mc2 can lead to such a weapon. A lot of the film is about the interplay of these theoretical concepts, whether it be quantum mechanics or socialism and how they hit the real world.

Murphy is perfectly cast as Oppenheimer and carries the film well, being able to convey the myriad complex motivations of science, politics, love, family, sex, war, and apocalypse that are running through his head at all times. Damon is perfectly fine as Graves, filling in a role seen many times over. Blunt seemingly has little to do with much of the film but has moments, especially in the final third of the film, of blistering strength and courage. There are many great performances, some very minor in terms of screentime, Tom Conti as Albert Einstein, Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr, one that is particularly interesting is that of Josh Peck as Kenneth Bainbridge, a physicist who is the person who actually presses the button in the first test of the atomic bomb.

One of the key parts of the film – perhaps the key part- is the moral question about the atomic bomb. Should America build it and then use it? When the question is who should be the first to have one – America or the Nazis – that is Oppenheimer and most of the scientists are comfortable thinking it should be America. But when things become less clear, when the enemy is less obvious, or when thoughts about what bomb comes next, disagreements arise. The whole cast does very well in displaying the competing narratives going on in their heads, especially Murphy, and it is infuriating when characters later in the film interrogate characters about what they were thinking.

Nolan spent a lot of time working on the explosion caused by the atomic bomb, Nolan is well-known for the extreme lengths he will go to for physical effects. Along with this Nolan’s use of sound has been commented on a lot and actually is perhaps more affecting in Oppenheimer than the visuals, a recurring stamping rumbling noise that troubles Oppenheimer, that seems to overwhelm him is incredibly effective.

Oppenheimer could be the film that gets Nolan his first Oscar and it would be well deserved. It is an epic film about an extraordinary life.

Rating: (4 / 5)

Also Read: The Anatomy of a Christopher Nolan Film

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The man, the myth, the legend!

Director Eric Appel (Silicon Valley, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) takes you back to the 1980s. The young Alfred Matthew Yankovic (Richard Aaron Anderson) dreams of becoming one of the most outstanding musicians and accordion players the world has ever known. Not by writing his songs but by changing the lyrics of already written ones to ‘make them better. While he wants to pursue this dream from a very young age, he has to keep it hidden because of his unsupportive parents (Julianne Nicholson and Toby Huss). When he’s finally able to leave the house and move in with some housemates, his musical life is about to take off enormously. When making a bologna sandwich, “Weird Al” (Daniel Radcliffe) hears the song ‘My Sharona’ on the radio, and you can already guess what happens next. Yes, Yankovic’s first hit, ‘My Bologna’, becomes a thing!

The song skyrockets Al and his roommates/musicians, and he can take on any song he wants. Finally, “Weird Al” reaches the success he only dreamed of, and at first, he still keeps his feet on the ground and stays the humble but highly talented musician. However, when his fame rises even more, “Weird Al” becomes an arrogant man, an abuser of many substances and a musician who’s taken advantage of, especially by his girlfriend, Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood). It doesn’t take long before Yankovic his career hits rock bottom. Will he find his way out and become the hilarious and unique musician again, or will his arrogance and bad influence be his doom?

A large than life biopic that runs with the truth

Another reason Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is unlike any other biopic you’ve seen is because the film runs with the truth. While there might be some truthful aspects to this, much of the storyline is entirely fictional. It fits the man, the musician and the legend perfectly well. From the broken relationship with his parents to having to suppress his musical talent, from becoming a rising star to struggling with addiction, it’s all brought to life in the most fictional, entertaining and eccentric way. The story is written to constantly bombard you with hilarious moments, witty conversations and well-known parodies.

The on-point acting performances are also why you should put this film on your to-watch list. Normally when casting someone for a biopic, you at least try to cast an actor/actress that resembles the performer. Well, that’s not the case in this movie. Radcliffe (Escape from Pretoria, Swiss Army Man) looks nothing like “Weird Al”, but who knew that a wig and a fake moustache could do so much! Radcliffe embodies “Weird Al” stunningly with a perfect comedic, emotional and exhilarating performance. He brings a lot of power and energy to this movie and delivers every line (no matter how ridiculous) with fierceness and passion.

While Wood (Kajillionaire, Into the Forest) only makes her first appearance mid-movie, she leaves a lasting impression. She portrays Madonna with humour, rock ‘n roll and charisma. She captures the mannerisms and the personality of the Queen of pop freakishly good! There are also many other guest appearances, all equally brilliant and hilarious, but we don’t want to tell you which one cause they’re too good to spoil.

We can see why “Weird Al” gave his stamp of approval!

When making a biopic, you want the stamp of approval from the artist/performer, and Appel gets the best one you can get. “Weird Al” co-wrote this story and blessed this hilarious homage in the best way possible. We understand why! While Weird: The Al Yankovic Story might not be to everyone’s taste (just like the music itself), it still provides you with enough weirdness, top-notch humour and stunning acting performance to enjoy “Weird Al” his biggest parody to date yet.

Rating: (4 / 5)

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is now available on Roku

Also Read: Will We Ever See These Celebrity Biopics?

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Watch the full interview below

Also Read: The Tarantino Crossover That Never Happened – Django & Zorro

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Steve Coogan

Who Are They? Steve Coogan is already a living legend of comedy – winner of what was then called the Perrier Award, integral part of The Day Today, co-creator of the character Alan Partridge and all subsequent works of that character, an actor regularly used in biopics (he has played Stan Laurel, Martin Sixsmith, Tony Wilson and even Steve Coogan). Coogan has also had a somewhat eventful personal life, being the subject of many tabloid scoops, and more recently become one of the major critics of the newspaper industry.

The Biopic Legend – Coogan is a good candidate for the troubled comedic genius that has been a stalwart of biopics in the past. As well the film being incredibly meta with various biopics existing in the film it also has an almost endless parade of possible small roles for interesting characters as diverse as Chris Morris, Jackie Chan and Dame Judi Dench.

Tom Brady

Who Are They? Tom Brady plays American football and he is exceptionally good at this. I don’t like American football but such is his fame I am aware of this man. This film would not be a film solely about American football – Raging Bull is not a film solely about boxing, Rush is not a film about solely Formula One, if that were the case they would only be of interest to fans of those sports. Rather sports is the lens through which great dramas of human life are played out. As well as scaling the heights of sporting glory Brady has been involved in scandals with accusations of cheating dogging his career in recent years. As popular as Brady is I have often heard matches between the New England Patriots (his former team) and any other team described as clashes between the forces of good and evil – with the Patriots being evil.

The Biopic Legend – A man who has everything – talent, wealth, youth and more, a living legend, yet as much as some love him, others hate him. The lengths he goes to so he can maintain his level of success and excellence inexorably leads to more dubious methods to win – tarnishing his stellar reputation.

Britney Spears

Who Are They? The quintessential pop star of the late 90s and 2000s Britney Spears has been incredibly successful and is the best-selling teen act of all-time. Spears was – and is – a genuine cultural icon and she was a decade-defining sensation when she first appeared. However Spears’ life of fame has not been easy – hounded by the press desperate for any and all details of her life, any potential problem endlessly picked over and a never-ending spotlight focused on her. Problems in her personal life culminated with her father being granted conservatorship over her estate – this has lead to various challenges and campaigns such as #freebritney with fans and others arguing the conservatorship should end.

The Biopic Legend – The destructive nature of fame would be the obvious story – a person who achieved success beyond their wildest dreams but that success lead to a great deal of suffering.

The Williams Sisters

Who Are They? For over twenty years Serena and Venus Williams have been arguably the biggest names in tennis. Both are spectacularly good at the sport, Serena Williams winning 73 titles, Venus 49, both have four Olympic gold medals and have both been ranked as number one women’s tennis players in the world. Both were picked out from an early age for their natural skill and talent both have excelled.

The Biopic Legend – Two sisters embark on a lifelong and intense rivalry that becomes their sole obsession, each determined to be seen as the best in the world, but perhaps more importantly, better than the other. It’s worth pointing out that this particular angle is quite a stretch as by all accounts the sisters are very close and of their four gold medals, three are for doubles competition in which they were partners. The Oscar winning film Amadeus is famous for essentially manufacturing a rivalry between Mozart and Salieri that did not exist for the purposes of narrative – so a good relationship is not necessarily a bar for a biopic feud.

Anyone But Donald Trump

Who Are They? Donald Trump is one of the most famous and notorious figures of our age – however, there is a problem with a Trump biopic in that he’s not a terribly interesting character, there are no hidden depths, no deeper motivation, to paraphrase Shrek – Trump does not have layers. Instead, perhaps it would be worth looking at one of the people around him – Ivanka Trump who was for some time positioned as a liberal influence on Trump, maybe Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer who amongst – other things – paid the infamous hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, or perhaps one of the so-called “Adults In The Room”, the people who would help guide the president, such as James Mattis who served as Defence Secretary. In the end, I think Michael Cohen has the most potential.

The Biopic Legend – Much of this film could be the bizarre and ridiculous life a “fixer” for Donald Trump could have, and Cohen worked for Trump years before he ran for president and didn’t have to worry quite so much about what the public might think. In the same way that Trump’s time in power raised the bar of truly incomprehensible actions of a president, it’s hard to imagine what event could be completely fabricated and not seem plausible. Cohen’s story even conveniently has a fall from grace, imprisonment and turning against Trump for a nice storytelling narrative.

Also Read: Famous Movie Props In The Hands of Collectors

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“I am responsible for polluting the airwaves with mind-numbing, puerile entertainment. In addition, I have murdered thirty-three human beings.”

Okay, there’s a bit to explain about the background of this film. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is based on the book of the same name by Chuck Barris, not a household name in the UK but he is very famous in America as the inventor of hit TV shows like The Dating Game (Blind Date to us Brits), The Newlywed Game, The Gong Show and others. That already might be enough for an interesting film but in the book Barris claims that as well as being a TV producer he was a hitman for the CIA. The film explores both aspects of this bizarre life.

“Rather than killing ourselves trying to find good acts… we just put on bad ones and kill them!”

Sam Rockwell plays Barris in what was a string of roles of Rockwell playing oddballs, Clooney is his CIA handler, and Drew Barrymore is Barris’ on again off again girlfriend – the two have an exceedingly modern relationship. Julia Roberts and Rutger Hauer pop up to round out the spy team and there are great cameos for the contestants of The Dating Game.

Rockwell is brilliant as Barris. He plays a distinctly unlikable character – manipulative, violent, cruel while at the same time having genuine charisma. Barris’ impact on television was huge and Rockwell pitching The Dating Game is a surreal moment of someone suggesting something that is in many ways obvious but nobody had done it. Barris is never content and always coming up with new games – including the incredibly titled The Game Game – and just his desperate and at times ingenious climb to the top of television is riveting. Then comes the CIA. Barris kills people, personally, with his own hands and the CIA is hardly particularly scrupulous about who ends up dead. Rockwell manages to hold the idea that these two very different careers can be successfully combined in one man.

Clooney is a typical 1950s Cold War American establishment type, constantly tempting Chuck with the more interesting and more perhaps more fulfilling life of a hitman. Drew Barrymore is charming as always as the hippy free-spirit woman who will just about put up with all of Barris’ nonsense (bear in mind she knows nothing of his CIA double-life).

“When you are young, your potential is infinite. You might do anything, really.

The film really is about Chuck Barris and his idea of success. He takes up the CIA hitman job when he thinks his life is going nowhere and as soon as he becomes successful regrets this rather extreme side of his life. Barris is extremely driven, starting in the NBC page programme (the same programme as Kenneth in 30 Rock is part of) and determined to work his way up. Barris is also quite odd – he regularly starts fights in bars despite being no good at fighting, his dating life is somewhat unusual and is also comfortable killing people. It may be noticed that what Barris makes are game shows, exceedingly low rent gameshows as well, The Gong Show was a talent contest and in the film Barris is credited with having the idea that a talent show doesn’t need people with talent – in fact, it’s more entertaining to watch talentless people fail. Throughout the film people confront Barris about making “garbage” television, with him putting on a veneer that success is all that matters but there is the lingering feeling that that is not the truth. After all, this is a man who legitimately wonders what’s a better life – making gameshows or killing people?

“I’m not killing people… my future’s in television”

Not long after the book was published Barris admitted that he had never worked for the CIA, he had simply made that up. Apparently, in his youth, he had applied for the CIA but had been unsuccessful and this book was partly imagining what that life might have been like. This is never really addressed in the film although the audience is prodded to question just how a reliable narrator Barris is.

For me this film is all about Barris trying to work out if his life was well-spent, was he successful, whatever views he really had on his television shows, whether he saw them as successful light entertainment that made people happy or he thought them brain-dead garbage we don’t know, but it is perhaps telling he had to invent a whole other life for himself as a CIA hitman so perhaps he wasn’t entirely satisfied.

Also Read: Underrated Movies: Power Rangers (2017)

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