Best movies to stream to take you backstage in the music business
With the Elton John biopic Rocketman blasting off in cinemas this week, here are five ways to stream yourself backstage into music’s inner sanctum.
Leigh Paatsch
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With the Elton John biopic Rocketman blasting off in cinemas this week, here are five ways to stream yourself backstage into music’s inner sanctum.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (2018)
Foxtel Store, Google, iTunes
**1/2
This sugary rendition of the life and times of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury is part group hug, part greatest hits jukebox. In scenes where Freddie is pushing Queen to excavate monster earworms like Another One Bites the Dust, We Are the Champions and, yes, the rock-opera masterpiece Bohemian Rhapsody, Rami Malek’s bravura performance shifts the whole movie from first gear up to fifth in seconds flat.
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (2015)
Google, Youtube Movies
***1/2
Hip-hop pioneers NWA’s landmark 1988 debut album (from which this biopic takes its name) still sounds like a live broadcast from a war zone. This movie hits maximum impact in a gripping first half: where the rap collective rapidly get their abrasive act together, then rush headlong at an unsuspecting world. This is where the likes of Ice Cube and Dr. Dre got their start.
RAY (2004)
iTunes, Sony PS
***
The soul-stirring sounds of music legend Ray Charles keep saving the day for this straightforward, safe-bet biopic. Jamie Foxx truly channels the spunk and spirit of Charles when swaying behind the keyboard during a multitude of exhilarating song sequences. In one hell of a hurry for a 152-minute flick, but has to be to match the exuberant rush of a wonderful soundtrack.
LOVE AND MERCY (2015)
Foxtel Now (from Sat June 1)
***
The life of Beach Boys singer-songwriter Brian Wilson. The story switches between the 1960s (with Wilson played in this decade by Paul Dano) at the peak of his pop-tastic powers. Meanwhile, in the 1980s, a life lived in the spotlight has taken a heavy mental toll on Wilson (now played by John Cusack). An engaging effort, particularly for fans of Wilson’s work.
CONTROL (2007)
SBS on Demand
****
The music of the seminal, short-lived UK band Joy Division is often mummified by the myth that ill-fated lead singer Ian Curtis was telegraphing his death with every song. Based on the memoirs of his widow Deborah, this gripping and insightful biopic makes a concerted effort to present Curtis (well played by Sam Riley) as anything but a poetic poster of sonic suicide notes.
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