5 Best Movies About Music

There are many types of movies about music, some are very realistic biopics, some are musicals loosely based on real musicians, and many are a combination of the two skillfully combined to be both informative and entertaining. While I have not seen every film about music, this is my favorite genre of film so I’ve determined that I’m qualified to create a ranking. I’ve taken into account not only my opinion on the film, but the overall quality of each film and how well they are executed.

1. Amadeus

The fact that this film is so incredible despite being centered on a musician that is not currently popular is extremely impressive. It came out in 1984 but since it takes place in the late 1700s it is impossible to tell when it was made; the production does not appear to be the least bit dated. It follows the short life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the narration of his rival composer, Antonio Salieri. It does not glamorize like some films like Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette; it uses perfectly timed music to enhance the natural drama of the story as well as jumping from present, with elderly Salieri narrating, to the part of the story he’s telling. Part of the appeal is that since Mozart was around so long ago, nobody really thinks of him as a person with a life beyond just his famous works. Amadeus humanizes Mozart and it is fascinating. Another perk to this film is that it makes you feel smart learning about a composer, and it is on Netflix.

2. Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls, directed and written by Bill Condon and released in 2006, is based on the 1981 Broadway musical. It is based on the story of the Motown record label and the group the Supremes. This film is incredible because, unlike many musicals, the performances blend smoothly into the rest of the film since the film is about a musical group. The plot is also thrilling and the acting is impressive. It’s packed with celebrities: Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphey, Beyoncé, and Jennifer Hudson (this was her film debut.) Everything about the film makes it exciting to watch; the style is amazing, it’s full of drama, and it includes the events that were happening in Detroit at the time so the viewer understands the historical context I have watched this movie so many times that my DVD is damaged during the best part (Jennifer Hudson’s solo.) For some reason I rarely find other people with such strong feelings about this film, but I think it’s because a lot of people are biased against musicals. The story had such an impact on me that I still think of Jamie Foxx as being evil because of the character he so effectively played.

3. Ray

Ray is a biopic about Ray Charles starring Jamie Foxx, and directed and produced by Taylor Hackford. The film starts when Charles is a child and documents his journey as a successful musician, but also documents his struggle with drugs. Jamie Foxx did an amazing job playing Ray Charles; in preparation for the role he played piano with Charles who was still alive at the time and he approved of Foxx. Ray Charles also read the whole script in braille and approved that as well. The film is satisfying without being unrealistically flashy. Also, unlike most biopics, it’s extremely realistic. While this makes it a powerful film, the acting is so good that in parts it’s really sad to the point where it is hard to watch. This movie made me realize how amazing Ray Charles’s music is. Before watching it I had no idea that Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” was based on another song, Ray Charles’s “I Got a Woman.”

4. Get On Up

This film is the newest of the five, having been released just in August of 2014. It is a fairly standard biopic about the story of James Brown, but since he was such a fascinating person it is a huge hit. It has many similarities with Ray in that the story is relatively chronological, beginning with childhood struggles and progressing through time showing the artist’s journey to success. The story is thrilling and the excellent acting, by Chadwick Boseman as Brown, immediately forces the audience to become invested in him as a character. The music adds lightness to an otherwise relatively dark and stressful story, so the result is an enjoyable balanced film. The costumes of course are a great part of the film because they’re true to the time and everybody looks great. My only complain about it is that it seems a bit predictable; as somebody who watches a lot of biopics there were no surprises and the flashbacks to childhood seemed a bit corny and cliché, however overall the film made me want to listen to original James Brown and learn more about the artist, so clearly it made an impact.

5. Across the Universe

This film differs from the others in that it is not really about the group whose music it features (the Beatles.) Across the Universe takes place in the 60s and follows its main character in his experience moving to the United States from Britain. All of the songs are Beatles covers sung by the actors but they vary a lot from the originals, and a lot of them are very creative and well done. The musical parts of the film resemble music videos in that there is a lot of synchronized dancing and things happening that would be impossible in real life. The whimsical combination of the realistic plot and musical breaks has an interesting effect. In some ways they keep the audience on their toes but in other ways it’s confusing and interrupts the flow of the plot. The plot itself is not particularly exciting or unexpected; the music and artistic qualities of the film are its strengths. Finally, it has cameos from celebrities such as Bono, Joe Cocker and Salma Hayek, which is always exciting.