Life (2015)
★★★☆☆
Recreating a brief episode in James Dean’s life, Anton Corbijn’s Life sees the icon on the cusp of fame thanks to a series of photographs for Life magazine.
biopic
Pasolini (2014)
★★★★☆
Evoking the last days of Pier Paolo Pasolini, Abel Ferrara’s Pasolini lets the controversial Italian filmmaker’s thoughts and ideas do the scandalising.
Love & Mercy (2014)
★★★★☆
With Paul Dano and John Cusack embodying the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Bill Pohlad’s Love & Mercy is a triumph of performance and the creative force.
The Theory Of Everything (2014)
★★★★☆
Dramatisation of Stephen Hawking’s life from gifted university student and romance with the woman who became his wife, to international acclaim as a physicist and the break-up of his marriage.
The Imitation Game (2014)
★★★★☆
Galvanising intense performances from a stellar cast, Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game is a war movie to stir the blood, but trips up over its queer hero.
Mr Turner (2014)
★★★★★
Mike Leigh’s dazzling biopic of one of Britain’s most celebrated and controversial artists is a masterpiece which earned Timothy Spall the Best Actor award at Cannes.
Violette (2013)
★★★☆☆
With a powerful performance from Emmanuelle Devos, Martin Provost’s Violette is a stylish biopic of influential author Violette Leduc and the power of the female pen.
Camille Claudel 1915 (2013)
★★★★☆
With a spectacular, single-handed performance from Juliette Binoche, Bruno Dumont’s Camille Claudel 1915 looks at the pained loneliness of a woman put out to pasture.
Yves Saint Laurent (2014)
★★★☆☆
Undressing the high life of the fashion designer, his label, loves and lows, Jalil Lespert’s Yves Saint Laurent cuts a fine figure.
Mandela – Long Walk To Freedom (2013)
★★★★☆
From boyhood to presidency, Justin Chadwick offers a solid biopic of Nelson Mandela, the iconic world statesman who achieved a political and moral miracle in South Africa.
Hannah Arendt (2012)
★★★☆☆
A portrait of the great thinker in troubled times, Margarethe von Trotta’s Hannah Arendt is more than a woman.
Renoir (2012)
★★★★☆
With a rich colour palette, Gilles Bourdos’ Renoir sees the worlds of both artist and filmmaker come to life at the hands of a dazzling muse.
The Iceman (2012)
★★★☆☆
Pushing the cold killer and family guy to breaking point, Ariel Vromen’s The Iceman features a stellar performance from Michael Shannon and a cluster of stars.
Hitchcock (2012)
★★★☆☆
Despite great performances from a stellar cast, Sacha Gervasi’s Hitchcock muddles between biopic, a making of and a troubled marriage drama.