Three very different biopics…
Free State of Jones…The most misunderstood movie of 2016. “Jones” wants to really get at the “What’s the Matter with [Red State]?” question in a contemporary way by exploring a Southern rebellion against the confederacy. If you hate Trickle Down Economics, and want to see the seeds of it in “Plantation Economics” just listen to half of what Matthew McConaughey’s Confederate deserter is saying here. Even if it’s a movie I admired more than enjoyed, it’s more than I can say for… Grade: B+
I Saw the Light…A movie so ill-conceived it’ll easily be on my “Worst of the Year” list. Who thought Tom Hiddleson (the most British of British actors and best known for playing the glam-rock mischief maker Loki) would be a natural fit for Hank Williams Jr.? I’ll admit that a biography of Hank was never going to be as good as one for Johnny Cash (a rebel so likable even people who don’t like country music might smile at some of Cash’s funnier songs), but what were they thinking? The best part is the opening tracking shot of Hank singing, but it’s all downhill from there, a music biopic on autopilot. Grade: D-
Genius…A biopic you’ve likely never heard of about novelist Thomas Wolfe’s relationship with his editor Max Perkins. It’s not half-bad but the tendency to cast ONLY British actors in iconic American parts needs to stop (Colin Firth and Jude Law as leads, then Guy Pearce as F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Dominic West as Hemingway) and it would’ve been better if they got deeper into the creative process. Grade: B-