As Orsino expresses apathetically in the opening line of Shakespeare’s The Twelfth Night, “If music be the food of love, play on.” Filmmakers have echoed this sentiment through the art of cinema, with music and musicians being an especially popular subject of late. Whether they be biopics, documentaries, musicals, or fiction, the musical medium is one that ignites the interest of film and music lovers alike. The fascination with a musician’s rise, the various and perhaps peculiar processes behind their work, and in-depth insights into their private lives is what makes these movies such intriguing viewing.

They have been an ever-present feature during awards season in recent years; since 2005, there have been six musically-based movies nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as several others nominated for awards in other categories. As with any genre of film, the entrants are diverse in quality, style, and theme, but taken all together, these are just some of the best dramatic movies about musicians.

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6 Walk the Line

     20th Century Fox

James Mangold’s 2005 multi-award-winning Johnny Cash biopic, starring Joaquin Phoenix, and Reese Witherspoon documents the country singer’s rise and stardom. As a 12-year-old boy, Cash loses his brother to a horrific sawmill accident and is subsequently blamed for his brother’s death by his father. Viewers are taken on Johnny’s journey as he battles to make ends meet to support his young family, before realizing his potential as a talented country singer and is eventually signed by a record label. Cash was once quoted saying “Sometimes I am two people. Johnny is the nice one. Cash causes all the trouble. They fight.” This quote perfectly encapsulates Walk the Line’s sentiments as a young Johnny Cash struggles to navigate through loss, love, substance abuse and ever-growing fame.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

5 Whiplash

     Sony Pictures Classics

At the age of just 32, Damien Chazelle became the youngest director to ever win the Academy Award for Best Director for his musical, La La Land. Yet, it was two years earlier where he sowed the seeds of success with Whiplash, a psychological drama following the life of aspiring jazz drummer, Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller). Andrew a first-year student at the coveted Shaffer Conservatory in New York, contends with the immense pressures placed on him by his tyrannical tutor, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Whiplash examines how sheer determination, commitment and dedication to perfecting one’s craft can ultimately prove costly to relationships, mental health and general wellbeing.

4 AMY

Amy Winehouse: A name so synonymous with beauty, talent, and tragedy. Director Asif Kapadia has carefully curated never-seen-before archival footage, interviews, and images that piece together the life and times of one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of our time. Kapadia effortlessly strings together each episode of her life in Amy, from her as a child, through her adolescence and into her twenties. The documentary provides a fascinating albeit devastating insight into the immensely creative, yet fragile mind of the Back to Black singer as she remedies her inner-demons through the excessive use of alcohol and drugs to lethal effect. Amy’s father, Mitch Winehouse, was scathing of the documentary, labelling its creators a “disgrace.” Yet, it received critical acclaim publicly (winning an Academy Award for Best Documentary) and has been widely accepted as a relatively unambiguous portrayal of the late performer’s life.

3 Ray

     Bristol Bay Productions

Jamie Foxx picked up the Academy Award for Best Actor for his rendition of soul music pioneer, Ray Charles. This biographical picture explores the singer’s astounding accomplishments as the godfather of soul, while he also grapples with blindness and addiction. In preparation for the role, Jamie Foxx met up with Charles and the pair played together, with Foxx later stating, “That’s all I wanted […] I needed to know the young Ray.” With this in mind, the Django Unchained star began watching old television recordings of a youthful Ray as he rose to fame, to help him get to grips with his character.

2 Inside Llewyn Davis

     CBS FIlms

The Coen Brothers are conceivably two of the greatest filmmakers of modern times, so it goes with the territory that Inside Llewyn Davis would feature. It centers around New York folk singer Llewyn Davis, a music purist and ex-Merchant Marine desperately resisting the commercial demands of his industry. From the dingy nightclubs of downtown Manhattan, to the gaslight an almost-famous music venue, Llewyn Davis plays where anyone will take him. Often sofa-surfing at friend’s and relative’s apartments and struggling to make a living, Llewyn is forced to decide whether to rejoin the Merchant Marines. This screenplay is a departure from the stereotypical Hollywood, zero-to-hero story and instead opts to present viewers with the harsh, gritty, and unembellished reality of life as an unsigned musician, with the Coens’ trademark surrealism rearing its head on occasion.

1 Rocketman

     Paramount Pictures

Taron Egerton stars as hall-of-famer and Grammy Award-winning Elton John in the grandiose, flamboyant biopic, Rocketman. The film follows the story of Reginald Kenneth Dwight, more commonly known as Elton John, as he makes his way from complete obscurity to becoming one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his generation. Following a childhood of virtual neglect from unaffectionate parents, Elton John harbors aspirations of becoming a musician, embarking on a journey that takes him from the Royal Academy of Music, all the way to universal acclaim. However, this ride is far from smooth; themes of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as the singer’s poignant struggle accepting his sexuality are enlaced throughout.