The 10 most controversial biopics of all time

The voice of Amy Winehouse lives again in cinemas in the film Back to Black. Biopic dedicated to the legendary British artist, who passed away at just 27 years old. The film will tell the dazzling rise of the queen of white soul, from her debut as a jazz singer in London to her consecration with the album Back to Black, winner of five Grammy Awards. Addicted to alcohol and drugs, Amy died from a potent mix of alcohol on 23 July 2011 at her home in Camden, London. Written and directed by Sam Taylor Johnson (wife of Aaron Taylor-Johnson and director of Fifty Shades of Gray), the biopic marks the starring debut of Marisa Abela. The English actress, originally from Brighton, has “trained like an athlete” to refine her uvula and learn to sing like the last, great voice of the 21st century.

But this wasn't enough to appease them controversies of Amy's fans who, since the first official photo of the film, did not approve of the actress' choice for such an iconic role. Abela was criticized above all for her lack of physical resemblance to Winehouse, despite the fact that the artist's father, who tragically passed away thirteen years ago, authorized the film and enthusiastically welcomed the actress's performance. Waiting for the judgment of the Italian fans, we have classified the 10 most controversial biopics of all time: from the one about the Doors according to Oliver Stone to Bohemian Rhapsody until disastrous House of Gucci.

10. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Despite Rami Malek's Oscar-winning performance, the biopic of Queen's voice was criticized for its poor portrayal of Freddie Mercury's bisexuality. Brian Synger's film gave more space to the singer's relationships with women, minimizing his homosexual ones. Bohemian Rhapsody has been accused of perpetuating stereotypes, including portraying Mercury as a sexual predator.

9. Nina (2016)

The biopic dedicated to the African-American singer and civil rights icon, Nina Simone, sparked a storm due to the hiring of Zoe Saldana, an Afro-Latin actress, for whom Simone's fans did not forgive her black face. In fact, to represent the jazz star, Saldana used make-up to darken her skin and had to wear a prosthetic nose. Beyond the casting problem, Cynthia Mort's film was a flop with audiences and critics, obtaining a very low score of 2% on Rotten Tomatoes.

8. The Doors (1991)

Let it be on record that we have no objections to Val Kilmer's transformative performance in Jim Morrison. To become the Lizard King, the actor paid for his own singing lessons and rehearsed for six months, learning 50 Doors songs to perfection. The problem here is with Oliver Stone's redundant narration, which weighs down the already hysterical mythology of the legendary voice of psychedelic rock.

7. Alexander (2004)

Oliver Stone falls for it again and in the throes of a delirium of omnipotence creates a meatloaf that is universally panned: from the excessive verbosity to the sensationalism of the homosexual aspects of Alexander the Great. The biopic is also criticized for the strange choice of Colin Farrell as the Macedonian king.

6. All Eyez on Me (2017)

Sometimes a biopic is controversial only because fans idolize the star being portrayed and despise the fact that the actor didn't live up to embodying their myth. This seems to be the case with the film about Tupac Shakur by Benny Boom with Demetrius Shipp Jr. in the role of the legendary rapper. The film failed to come close to or capture the magic of successful hip-hop biopics like Straight Outta Compton And 8 Mile. Additionally, Jada Pinkett Smith accused the film of getting many details about her and Shakur's relationship wrong.

5. Jobs (2013)

Shortly after Steve Jobs' death in 2011, two competing biopics about his life were quickly announced. One was Steve Jobs, Danny Boyle's Aaron Sorkin-written film, focuses on the tech visionary's career in three long scenes, each set on the day of a major launch. That film is a modern classic boasting a stellar performance from Michael Fassbender. The other biopic, much more conventional, is that of Joshua Michael Stern, with Ashton Kutcher in the role of the co-founder of Apple. Aside from the physical resemblance to Jobsthe star of That '70s Show he didn't have the acting skills to step into such an iconic role.

4. American Sniper (2014)

Clint Eastwood directs the biopic of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in American military history played by Bradley Cooper. Despite the public success and the Oscar for best sound editing, the film was inundated with criticism for its historical inaccuracies, lack of realism and representation that tends to glorify the war in Iraq.

3. J. Edgar (2011)

Also by Eastwood, an even more controversial biopic. The one about J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI for 48 years. The film has been accused of inaccuracies by historians and government officials. Furthermore, Leonardo DiCaprio aged with make-up proved unconvincing.

2. Blonde (2022)

Andrew Dominik's biopic on the life of Norma Jean, aka Marilyn Monroe, has been branded “an almost three-hour long pornography of pain”. The inclusion of a CGI fetus further fueled criticism. Not even Ana de Armas' stunning mimetic performance could save the film.

1. House of Gucci (2021)

Ridley Scott directs Murder Gucci, enlisting a stellar cast that would be the envy of any of his colleagues. The biographical blockbuster tells the Gucci family saga, with particular focus on the events of Patrizia Reggiani (played by Lady Gaga) who orchestrated the assassination of her husband, Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), nephew of the founder of the Florentine Maison, Guccio Gucci. It's a shame that the film turned out to be a sideshow of caricatures, sparking debates on the stereotypical representation of Italians. The controversy was further fueled by disapproval from the Gucci family.