For BRWC’s 10^th birthday, we thought we would look back at the years of film we have been covering. 2015 saw some brilliant movies, and some really ground breaking biopics, covering new and relevant topics, such as transgender people and the Catholic Church abuse cases. The stories carried so much weight and it felt so important that they be told. Never mind the Fifty Shades of Grey flop, or the final installation of The Hunger Games series, what really shone were the biopics that came out in 2015, and the mesmerising documentaries that graced our screens. Thank you to our loyal readers for joining us on our journey through the ages, and lets look back at 2015’s legendary biopics!

The Danish Girl was a really aesthetically triumphant moment of 2015. This spellbindingly beautiful picture by Tom Hooper told the true story of artist Einar Wegener, the first person to undergo gender reassignment surgery. After the huge press coverage of Caitlyn Jenner’s transitioning, this topic was at last beginning to get the recognition it deserves. Eddie Redmayne delivered a moving performance, and Alicia Vikander gained her first Oscar for Supporting Actress, playing Wegener’s loyal and inspirational wife Gerder.

One of my personal favourites of the year was not so much a biopic, but a true story of the breakdown of a community. Best Picture winner Spotlight follows a small Boston publication as they investigate the abuse allegations against the Catholic Church. With actors like Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Leiv Schriber, the film gets right to the heart of the case, documenting the forensic investigative process of reporting and journalism, and the impact that such a story has on a community, and the world.

Johnny Depp underwent an incredible transformation to play the renowned Boston gang leader James “Whitey” Bulger. His blotted skin and pale, dead eyes make for a terrifying new image, one that won’t be forgotten. Simultaneously, Tom Hardy played both Kray twins in the movie Legend, one that was met with a lot of backlash. People thought that the film glamorised two of what were the most violent individuals in the history of London. Whilst this is true, it is undeniably fun seeing Hardy adopt these two very different personas. We saw Michael Fassbender take on the role of the cold-hearted genius Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, and basically the pioneering force behind modern technology.

Joy was a less obvious but no less significant topic for a biopic. This was the story of the creation of the Miracle Mop, invented by a woman called Joy Mangano. Jennifer Lawrence delivers another brilliant performance as Mangano, who juggles her stressful family life with her determination to get her product off the ground. This, whilst far more often overlooked, shows the creation of a household necessity that is equally prominent in our every day lives as the apple products made by Mr Jobs.

Three incredibly moving documentaries came out as well in 2015. Asif Kapadia delved deep into the life of Amy Winehouse, with this incredibly insightful and unbelievably moving look at the woman behind the legendary voice. Another of these masterpieces was Montage of Heck, which was a rare peephole into the life of the notoriously private Kurt Cobain. Listen to Me Marlon featured Marlon Brando’s self-recorded tapes that he used for self-hypnosis, and delivered a heart-breaking portrayal of the struggles that Brando faced later in his life. What better than three documentaries about three of the most iconic individuals in the history of popular culture?

Yes, 2015 delivered a few wonderful insights into the lives of fascinating people!

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