There are many reasons why David Fincher's Mank, which is released on Netflix on Friday, is already considered one of the front runners this awards season.
Not only has the coronavirus pandemic obliterated all of its competition, but The Social Network and Zodiac filmmaker is arguably the most lauded director of his generation to never be recognised by the Oscars.
The primary reason, though, is that Mank is based on a true story, and Green Book, Spotlight, Bohemian Rhapsody and 12 Years A Slave are just some of the biopics to have picked up Academy Awards over the past five years.
But which biopics are actually worth your time? We say take a look at these.
'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967)
One of the most important American movies ever made, Bonnie and Clyde helped to usher in a new era for Hollywood, as it broke many of the cinematic taboos that studios had long sanctioned. At the same time, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway are utterly captivating as the devilish leading pair, while it also includes one of the greatest finales in movie history.
'Raging Bull' (1980)
The pinnacle of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro's collaborations, Raging Bull is a visceral and utterly compelling look at the rise of Jake LaMotta's boxing career, and how his self-destructive behaviour destroyed it. Scorsese's direction is flawless, while DeNiro gives one of the greatest acting portrayals of all time, setting a bar that every other biopic actor has since failed to surpass.
'Amadeus' (1984)
Milos Forman transported audiences all the way back to 18th century Vienna with his virtuoso 1984 biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. But rather than merely exploring the life of this musical prodigy, it is as much about composer Antonio Salieri and his rivalry with Mozart. Unfortunately, Amadeus is probably more fiction than fact, but that does not stop it being both stupendously entertaining and surprisingly deep, as it asks probing questions about talent and legacy.
'The Last Emperor' (1987)
With The Last Emperor, Bernardo Bertolucci was the first western director to film inside Beijing's Forbidden City. Bertolucci's epic yet intimate look at the life of Puyi is instantly elevated because of these locations. The film also benefits from the director's patient approach to the subject matter, which allows it to slowly hypnotise and captivate viewers. The 1988 Academy Awards committee were suitably impressed, too, as they gave the film nine Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
'Goodfellas' (1990)
Scorsese's blistering exploration of Henry Hill's rise through the New York underworld is one of the greatest gangster films of all time. It's also a hugely impressive biopic, as Scorsese expertly squeezes all of Hill's trials and tribulations into its 146-minute running time, which just breezes by.
'Malcolm X' (1992)
Spike Lee's epic biopic is the perfect combination of filmmaker and actor. Not only does Lee exquisitely weave the main elements of the activist's life, ranging from his criminal past, to his time in prison, conversion to Islam, and then his assassination, but it is led by Denzel Washington's finest performance to date. Which makes it all the more infuriating that Malcolm X only received two Oscar nominations in 1993 for Best Costume Design and Best Actor. But Washington lost to Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman.
'Selena' (1997)
This biopic not only features Jennifer Lopez’s breakout role as the beloved Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez, but it also manages to present an energetic and poignant look at her heartbreakingly short career. It’s Lopez who really shines, though, as she displays all of the charisma and radiance that immediately turned her into a pop culture icon.
'Walk the Line' (2005)
The film's reputation has somewhat plummeted, after the 2007 comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story mercilessly poked fun at it and the entire biopic genre. But its impressive takings of $187 million from a $28m budget proved that audiences love to see talented actors bring famous musicians to life on the silver screen. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon do an expert job as Johnny Cash and June Carter, and while it occasionally dovetails into melodrama, they're able to inject enough magic and showmanship into the film to make it feel special.
'Persepolis' (2007)
Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's sublime coming-of-age story amid the Iranian Revolution might be animated, but that does not make it any less powerful. Based on Satrapi's life and comic book, Persepolis was met with rave reviews upon its release, and co-won the Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
'The Social Network' (2010)
While Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin's look at the complicated origins of Facebook was instantly acclaimed by critics, some people believed that its treatment of Mark Zuckerberg was quite harsh. However, Zuckerberg's recent exploits prove that Fincher and Sorkin were actually ahead of their time, while The Social Network simply gets better and better with each passing year.
'Straight Outta Compton' (2015)
While the first half of Straight Outta Compton easily eclipses its relatively mediocre second, the film's opening is so stirring and enthralling that F Gary Gray's story of California rap group NWA still firmly deserves to be recognised as one of the best biopics of the past 20 years. Especially since its leading trio of O'Shea Jackson, Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell provide incredible acting and musical performances, the latter of which help to elevate this film above most other biopics.
'Bohemian Rhapsody' (2018)
The film didn't only manage to eclipse Walk the Line's success, but it put up numbers that any superhero movie would be proud of. Rumours of a movie based on the life and talent of Freddie Mercury had swirled ever since his death in November, 1991. However, no one could have predicated its awards season success, which resulted in Rami Malek winning the Best Actor Oscar. Especially after it was met with only middling reviews. Critics failed to realise just how much joy it would bring to movie and music fans, who went to see Bohemian Rhapsody again and again, helping it to gross $904m worldwide.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Hamilton’s 2017
Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
if you go
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
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