Movies About Music & Musicians (Fictional or Real Life)
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- DirectorMichael ColemanEmmanuel MoranStarsJohn Luther AdamsPeter AlyeaBeaconThe Art of Listening is a documentary film about the journey music takes to reach a listener's ear, from the intent of an instrument maker and composer, to the producers and engineers who capture and preserve an artist's voice.
- DirectorMatt SchraderStarsMarco BeltramiJon BurlingameLeonard MaltinA look at the cinematic art of the film musical score, and the artists who create them.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsLaura DernNicolas CageJulee CruiseThe performer of Twin Peaks theme Julee Cruise's experimental concert film, which opens with a short intro where a man breaks up with his girl over the phone, which devastates her. The concert is set in her nightmarish subconscious mind.
- DirectorPaul JustmanStarsJoe HunterJack AshfordUriel JonesDocumentary about the Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit musicians who backed up dozens of Motown artists.
- DirectorLaura ArchibaldStarsSusan SarandonHappy TraumTom BernadinExplores the music scene in Greenwich Village, New York in the 60's and early 70's. The film highlights some of the finest singer/songwriters of the day.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsOscar IsaacCarey MulliganJohn GoodmanA week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.
- DirectorDarnell MartinStarsAdrien BrodyJeffrey WrightBeyoncéChronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists.
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsJamie FoxxRegina KingKerry WashingtonThe story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsChadwick BosemanNelsan EllisDan AykroydA chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsForest WhitakerDiane VenoraMichael ZelnikerThe troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker.
- DirectorDon CheadleStarsDon CheadleEmayatzy CorinealdiEwan McGregorAn exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis.
- DirectorRobert BudreauStarsEthan HawkeCarmen EjogoCallum Keith RennieA re-imagining of jazz legend Chet Baker's musical comeback in the late '60s.
- DirectorRobert BudreauStarsStephen McHattieTed DykstraSten EirikAn exploration of the mysteries surrounding the death of jazz legend Chet Baker who was found dead below an Amsterdam hotel window in 1988.
- DirectorBruce WeberStarsChet BakerCarol BakerVera BakerDocumentary on the life of jazz trumpeter and drug addict Chet Baker. Fascinating series of interviews with friends, family, associates and lovers, interspersed with film from Baker's earlier life and some modern-day performances.
- DirectorCharlotte ZwerinStarsThelonious MonkJohn ColtraneJimmy ClevelandA documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Sphere Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius.Birth name: Thelonious Sphere Monk
Born: October 10, 1917 Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S.
Died: February 17, 1982 (aged 64), Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. - DirectorChris HuntStarsKeith RichardsEric ClaptonJohn HammondA UK television documentary film about the legendary Delta blues musician Robert Johnson.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsDarlene LoveMerry ClaytonLisa FischerBackup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.
- DirectorRichie AdamsStarsJoaquim de AlmeidaAunjanue Ellis-TaylorBill CobbsA story about a beautiful street musician suffering from memory loss and a disheartened neuroscientist intent on helping her, bringing together the city of New Orleans and the jazz that made it famous.
- DirectorValentine DaviesStarsSteve AllenDonna ReedBerta GerstenThe young Benny Goodman is taught clarinet by a Chicago music professor. He is advised by bandleader Kid Ory to play whichever kind of music he likes best, but to make a living, Benny begins by joining the Ben Pollack traveling band.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsJames StewartJune AllysonHarry MorganBiography of bandleader Glenn Miller from his beginnings to his death over the English Channel in December 1944.
- DirectorThomas ReichmanStarsWalter BishopCharles McPhersonCarolyn MingusA close-up of bass player and composer Charlie Mingus as he and his five-year-old daughter await eviction by the City of New York.
- DirectorDon McGlynnStarsCharles MingusGunther SchullerNine years in the making, CHARLES MINGUS - Triumph of the Underdog is the first comprehensive documentary about jazz bassist, bandleader and composer Charles Mingus. A lucid involving portrait showing the many faces and tortured heart of a music genius, the film also features an abundance of clips of Mingus in performance.
- DirectorSidney J. FurieStarsDiana RossBilly Dee WilliamsRichard PryorThe story of the troubled life and career of the legendary Jazz singer, Billie Holiday.
- DirectorBert SternAram AvakianStarsLouis ArmstrongMahalia JacksonChuck BerryThe highlights of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival.
- DirectorJean BachStarsDizzy GillespieMilt HintonMarian McPartlandThe documentary compiles interviews of all the top jazz musicians in NYC in the year 1958, for a piece in Esquire magazine.
- StarsKeith DavidWynton MarsalisGary GiddinsA survey of the musical form's history and major talents.
- DirectorGeorge C. WolfeStarsS. Epatha MerkersonMarcus Carl FranklinYasiin BeyIn a story fueled by rhythm and blues, a young boy's life is shaped by love and the stories of a cast of characters in the boarding house where he lives in 1960s Lackawanna, New York.
- DirectorBenito ZambranoStarsAlberto YoelRoberto San MartínYailene SierraTwo Cuban friends play in a blues band in La Habana. When a Spanish music producer offers them a contract to record an album and build a career in Europe, they must decide whether to stay in their birthplace with their loved ones or to grab the chance of leaving Cuba.
- DirectorMartin RittStarsPaul NewmanJoanne WoodwardSidney PoitierDuring the 1960s, two American expatriate jazz musicians living in Paris meet and fall in love with two American tourist girls.Blues / Jazz Music: Fictional characters
- DirectorBertrand TavernierStarsDexter GordonFrançois CluzetGabrielle HakerA troubled, but talented musician flees the US to escape his problems, finding refuge and support in Paris.Jazz Music: Fictional characters
- DirectorWalter HillStarsRalph MacchioJoe SenecaJami GertzA wannabe blues-guitar virtuoso finds an old blues player and hopes he can teach him a long-lost song by legendary musician Robert Johnson.Willie Brown
Genres: Delta blues country blues
Born August 6, 1900. Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
Died December 30, 1952 (aged 52). Tunica, Mississippi, U.S. - DirectorSteve KlovesStarsJeff BridgesMichelle PfeifferBeau BridgesThe lives of two struggling musicians, who happen to be brothers, inevitably change when they team up with a beautiful, up-and-coming singer.
- DirectorPaul AusterStarsHarvey KeitelMira SorvinoRichard EdsonA famous jazz saxophonist's life is forever changed after he is accidentally shot.Jazz Music: Fictional characters
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.Jazz Music: Fictional characters
- DirectorKevin SpaceyStarsKevin SpaceyKate BosworthJohn GoodmanA swooning study of "Mack the Knife" singer Bobby Darin and specifically his relationship with wife Sandra Dee.Bobby Darin
Born May 14, 1936
East Harlem, New York City, New York, U.S.
Died December 20, 1973 (aged 37). Los Angeles, California, U.S. - DirectorClint EastwoodStarsJohn Lloyd YoungErich BergenMichael LomendaThe story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic 1960s rock group The Four Seasons.
- DirectorMalcolm LeoAndrew SoltStarsElvis PresleyDavid ScottPaul Boensch IIIThe life and career of Elvis Presley are chronicled in home movies, concert footage, and dramatizations. Subjects include early performances, army service, Ed Sullivan Show appearance, marriage, 1968 comeback, health decline and death.
- DirectorSam Taylor-JohnsonStarsAaron Taylor-JohnsonKristin Scott ThomasAnne-Marie DuffA chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.
- DirectorJoe BoydJohn HeadGary WeisStarsArthur AllenAlbert AllenStella BenabonMade shortly after his death, this documentary explores the brief life and remarkable legacy of guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
- DirectorFloyd MutruxStarsTim McIntireFran DrescherJay LenoThe story of Alan Freed, the pioneering disc jockey who was instrumental in introducing and popularizing rock 'n' roll in the 1950s.Alan Freed
- DirectorFred F. SearsStarsBill Haley and the CometsBill HaleyThe PlattersA frustrated big-band promoter bumps into rock-and-rollers Bill Haley and the Comets.
- DirectorMichael AptedStarsDavid EssexAdam FaithLarry HagmanThe rise and fall of the rock singer Jim Maclaine, in the mid 60s, with his manager, Mike, and his group, "The Stray Cats."
- DirectorDenny TedescoStarsBrian WilsonDick ClarkCherA celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew", a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bing Crosby.
- 20101h 56mNot Rated7.6 (1.9K)68MetascoreDirectorJohn ScheinfeldStarsGerry BeckleyLee BlackmanPerry Botkin Jr.The life and work of the enigmatic folk rock singer-songwriter.
- DirectorJacob HatleyStarsLarry CampbellJay CollinsElizabeth DankoA documentary on Levon Helm, a founding member of The Band, at home in Woodstock in the midst of creating his first studio album in 25 years.
- DirectorGreg 'Freddy' CamalierStarsRick HallAretha FranklinKeith RichardsA documentary that celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the signature sound he developed in songs such as "I'll Take You There", "Brown Sugar", and "When a Man Loves a Woman".
- DirectorMark MoormannStarsRay CharlesJohn ColtraneAretha FranklinA documentary about Tom Dowd, who was an innovative recording engineer and producer of noted albums with John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Otis Redding, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers and many others.
- DirectorMark MoormannStarsSteve AlaimoKyle BeckerPeter H. BrownTHE RECORD MAN is a uniquely American story of how a group of musical underdogs with raw talent and diverse backgrounds, led by the indefatigable determination of one man, Henry Stone, exported the music of Miami to the world.
- DirectorBill PohladStarsJohn CusackPaul DanoElizabeth BanksIn the 60s, Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson struggles with emerging psychosis as he attempts to craft his avant-garde pop masterpiece. In the 80s, he's a broken, confused man under the 24-hour watch of shady therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy.
- DirectorJames PonsoldtStarsJason SegelJesse EisenbergAnna ChlumskyThe story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace, which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace's groundbreaking epic novel, 'Infinite Jest.'
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsNeil YoungEmmylou HarrisPegi YoungA film shot over during a two-night performance by Neil Young at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsNeil YoungJim JarmuschRalph MolinaThis film documents Neil Young and Crazy Horse's 1996 concert tour. Jim Jarmusch interviews the band about their long history, and we see backstage footage from the 1970s and 1980s.
- DirectorJay BulgerStarsGinger BakerFemi KutiEric ClaptonGinger Baker looks back on his musical career with Cream and Blind Faith; his introduction to Fela Kuti; his self-destructive patterns and losses of fortune; and his current life inside a fortified South African compound.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsKeith RichardsAnthony DeCurtisSteve JordanA portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
- DirectorDrew DeNicolaOlivia MoriStarsBilly AltmanJon AuerLester BangsBig Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me is a feature-length documentary film about the dismal commercial failure, subsequent massive critical acclaim, and enduring legacy of pop music's greatest cult phenomenon, Big Star.
- DirectorDon LettsStarsK.K. BarrettRoberta BayleyJello BiafraA documentary on the music, performers, attitude and distinctive look that made up punk rock.
- DirectorLisa Barros D'SaGlenn LeyburnStarsCathal MaguirePeter KellyCharlie BerkeleyA chronicle of Terri Hooley's life, a record-store owner instrumental in developing Belfast's punk-rock scene.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsMalcolm McLarenSid ViciousSteve JonesFilmmaker Julien Temple chronicles the Sex Pistols' tumultuous rise to fame, as told by their manager, Malcolm McLaren.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsPaul CookSteve JonesJohn LydonA film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.
- DirectorDon LettsStarsTerry ChimesTerence DackombeTopper HeadonA career retrospective of British punk band The Clash, featuring exclusive interviews with the entire band.
- DirectorJim FieldsMichael GramagliaStarsRick RubinTommy RamoneDee Dee RamoneThe story of the punk rock band The Ramones.
- DirectorPaul RachmanStarsGreg GinnIan MacKayeJames DrescherThe History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986
- DirectorDavid MarkeyStarsSonic YouthKim GordonLee RanaldoDavid Markey's documentary of life on the road with Sonic Youth and Nirvana during their tour of Europe in late 1991. Also featuring live performances by Dinosaur Jr, Babes In Toyland, The Ramones and Gumball.
- DirectorLou AdlerStarsPeter DonatDiane LaneMarin KanterThe media and disaffected teens mistake the acerbic rants of an obnoxious teenage punk rocker as a rallying cry for the women of America, launching her and her talentless group to national stardom.Punk Music: Fictional characters
- DirectorMarc AbrahamStarsTom HiddlestonElizabeth OlsenMaddie HassonThe story of the country-western singer Hank Williams, who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his rise to fame and its tragic effect on his health and personal life.Country Music: Hank Williams
Born Hiram Williams, September 17, 1923. Mount Olive, Butler County, Alabama
Died January 1, 1953 (aged 29). Oak Hill, West Virginia - DirectorJames MangoldStarsJoaquin PhoenixReese WitherspoonGinnifer GoodwinA chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.Country Music: Johnny Cash
Born February 26, 1932. Kingsland, Arkansas, U.S.
Died September 12, 2003 (aged 71). Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. - DirectorMichael AptedStarsSissy SpacekTommy Lee JonesLevon HelmThe fictionalized life of singer Loretta Lynn, a girl who rose from humble beginnings to become a country music star in the 1960s/70s.Country Music: Loretta Lynn
Born April 14, 1932 (age 86). Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, U.S. - DirectorScott CooperStarsJeff BridgesMaggie GyllenhaalColin FarrellA faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.Country Music: Fictional characters
- DirectorAlex ProyasStarsKick GurryMaya StangePia MirandaThe story of a young garage band in Sydney, Australia trying to make it big.
- DirectorMichael PaseornekStarsJames MarshallChristina ApplegateFaye GrantRising rock star TJ Cray gets the shot of a lifetime: an audition with a A and R man. On the way into the city, a carload of drunks smashes into his car, severing his hands. He drops out of the business and becomes a homeless drunk. Cray wakes up to a pulsing beat in an abandoned warehouse, where a "rave" party is in full action. To his rescue comes Anamika, a computer artist, who takes him outside for fresh air. They become friends and eventually reinvent TJ's career. With help from friends, they replace his hands with prosthetics and design a metallic cyber-looking suit. TJ quickly becomes an overnight sensation known as Cyberstorm. The finale is a dramatic scenario where TJ must make crucial decisions about his new life.
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsRobert ArkinsMichael AherneAngeline BallJimmy Rabbitte, an unemployed Dublin boy, decides to put together a soul band made up entirely of the Irish working class.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsRob ReinerMichael McKeanChristopher GuestSpinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.
- DirectorJohn Cameron MitchellStarsJohn Cameron MitchellMiriam ShorStephen TraskA gender-queer punk-rock singer from East Berlin tours the U.S. with her band as she tells her life story and follows the former lover/band-mate who stole her songs.
- DirectorAndrew ErwinJon ErwinStarsJohn Michael FinleyMadeline CarrollDennis QuaidThe inspiring and unknown true story behind MercyMe's beloved, chart topping song that brings ultimate hope to so many is a gripping reminder of the power of true forgiveness.
- DirectorLouis J. GasnierStarsCarlos GardelMona MarisVincent PadulaCarlos Acosta (Carlos Gardel), tied to a flirty wife and in love with another girl, watches fate work out a solution that allows him to return to his real love after trips to Paris and New York City.Carlos Gardel - Born: 11 December 1890, France - Died: 24 June 1935 in Medellín, Colombia
- DirectorOlivier DahanStarsMarion CotillardSylvie TestudPascal GreggoryBiopic of the iconic French singer Édith Piaf. Raised by her grandmother in a brothel, she was discovered while singing on a street corner at the age of 19. Despite her success, Piaf's life was filled with tragedy.
- DirectorAlain CorneauStarsGérard DepardieuJean-Pierre MarielleAnne BrochetThe story of Monsieur de Sainte Colombe, fierce and somber man, grand master of the viola da gamba and professor of Marin Marais, prestigious musician in the court of Louis XIV.
- DirectorTony PalmerStarsSimon CallowMichael BallRebecca FrontIn 1960s, a British playwright attempts to reconstruct the life of real life 17th century English composer Henry Purcell even though little is known about him. Purcell's life is reenacted and his music performed.
- DirectorLiana MarabiniStarsSteven CreeClemency Burton-HillJames JaggerThe life of Antonio Vivaldi, called "the red priest", his relationship with the world and the Church, his spiritual battles, his love for a woman.
- DirectorJean-Louis GuillermouStarsStefano DionisiMichel SerraultMichel GalabruThe life of Antonio Vivaldi, the great Italian composer and musician of the 17th century.
- DirectorDanièle HuilletJean-Marie StraubStarsGustav LeonhardtChristiane LangPaolo CarliniThe life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach as presented by his wife, Anna.
- DirectorStuart GillardStarsTed DykstraKyle LabineIan D. ClarkA young boy helps the rebellious Johann Sebastian Bach fight for his artistic freedom.
- DirectorJean-Louis GuillermouStarsChristian VadimElena LeninaFrédérique BelJ.S. BACH: THE MUSIC, THE LIFE, THE LEGEND is a dramatic look at the life of Johann Sebastian Bach, a man who dedicated his life to the service of music.
- DirectorCesca EatonDavid JeffcockStarsJohn Eliot GardinerBBC documentary written and presented by the famous English conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner. It is a rigorous biography that tries to show the man and the musician at the same time. Gardiner reveals an artist so complex and passionate; a family man both warm and cozy who must fight the hierarchies of the state and the Lutheran Church to accomplish her art.
- DirectorColin NearsStarsBrian CoxPolly HemingwayMichael GoughThe life of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.Johann Sebastian Bach - Born: 21 March 1685 (O.S.) / 31 March 1685 (N.S.)
Eisenach, Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach, State of the Holy Roman Empire - Died: 28 July 1750 (aged 65) Leipzig. - DirectorDominique de RivazStarsVadim GlownaJürgen VogelKaroline HerfurthComposer Johann Sebastian Bach is introduced to King Frederick II of Prussia in 1747. The aging composer and the young monarch clash and a battle of egos ensues.
- StarsUlrich TheinFranziska TroegnerRosemarie BärholdSophisticated German miniseries on the life and work of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), one of the greatest musicians and composers of all time.
- DirectorNorman WalkerStarsWilfrid LawsonElizabeth AllanMalcolm KeenA lavish period drama produced in 1942 by Lord Rank's G.H.W. Productions Ltd.
- DirectorAnna AmbroseStarsSimon CallowAlan DevlinJean RigbyThis film presents scenes from the life of German composer George Frideric Handel in the style of a baroque opera. After the success of his London debut, Handel settles in England. He abandons aristocratic and royal patronage and throws himself on the mercy of the marketplace, having to deal with money worries and fickle audiences as well as fluctuating health. After the public rejects a string of his operas and a stroke nearly fells him, Handel embarks on a high-risk gamble for his 1742 oratorio "Messiah": he premieres the new work far from fashionable London and with a leading singer whose career is tainted by scandal.
- DirectorTony PalmerStarsTrevor HowardDave GriffithsChristopher BramwellAt death's door, George Frederic Handel reflects, rages, and narrates his life. From his womanizing youthful days, to his rise in fame as a composer, God Rot Tunbridge Wells! pulls no punches in this wild romp of a biopic.
- DirectorGérard CorbiauStarsStefano DionisiEnrico Lo VersoElsa ZylbersteinThe story of castrato opera singer Carlo Broschi, who enthralled 18th-century European audiences under his stage name Farinelli.
- DirectorPhil GrabskyStarsJuliet StevensonHenry GoodmanEmanuel AxIn this eagerly-awaited documentary, Phil Grabsky's biographical account of Haydn's life is a visual and aural extravaganza, including breath-taking performances by some of the world's most celebrated musicians.
- DirectorPhil GrabskyStarsFrank Adams-BrownDebbie ArnoldSean BarrettThe life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
- DirectorKarl HartlFrank WisbarStarsHans HoltWinnie MarkusWilton GraffStory of the life and work of famed composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
- DirectorRené FéretStarsMarie FéretMarc BarbéDelphine ChuillotA reimagined account of the early life of Maria Anna 'Nannerl' Mozart, five years older than Wolfgang, and a musical prodigy in her own right.
- DirectorRaymond St-JeanThe Child Of Music explores Mozart's frenzied life and offers a visually poetic interpretation of the composer's String Quartet No. 15 in D Minor, K.421. Biographical vignettes introduce each of the quartet's four movements, which unfold as a series of imaginatively choreographed tableaux featuring dancers and actors who perform scenes freely inspired by Mozart's life.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsF. Murray AbrahamTom HulceElizabeth BerridgeThe life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.
- StarsChristoph BantzerAnne-Marie KusterMichel BouquetThe plot follows Mozart's life chronologically. All seminal events are lovingly enacted with great care for detail and faithful to the period. Go see the German version. It is breathtakingly real. As you may know, Mozart did not have remarkable facial features like Van Beethoven. Christoph Bantzer is an physical look-alike of Mozart, une vraie trouvaille!