The Railway Man
One of the most amazing things about The Railway Man is that the unbelievable story is based on the real life of Eric Lomax. Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvine took this role with the responsibility of depicting the character honestly.
In anticipation of the upcoming emotional chronicle we decided to take a looks at some other films based on amazing true stories.
- The Pianist
Adrien Brody made audiences sob worldwide in one of the most heart wrenching personal World War II dramas. Based on the autobiographical book of the same name, The Pianist follows Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist and composer, as he struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II.
To prepare for the role, Brody shed 31 pounds and, in order to evoke the same feeling of loss and isolation felt by the character, he sold his car, got rid of his New York apartment, and shut his phone off.
Adrien Brody became the youngest person to date to win the Academy Award for Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal as Szpliman. Overall, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning three, including, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.
- A Beautiful Mind
A Beautiful Mind is a moving biographical drama based on the life of John Forbes Nash Jr. The film follows Nash’s (Russell Crowe) life as he descends from the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity.
The young Nash makes a mathematical discovery which pivots his career into success only to be ruined by paranoid schizophrenia and delusional episodes.
After many years of struggle, he triumphs over his tragedy and receives the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994. The motion picture is based on the bestselling Pulitzer Prize-nominated 1998 book of the same name.
A Beautiful Mind was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning four, including, Best Picture, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Director, and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published.
- The Fighter
Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo all star in 2010 real life sports drama, The Fighter. The film follows the life of professional boxer Micky Ward’s (Wahlberg) preparation before turning pro in the mid 1980s, and his relationship with his trainer and brother Dicky (Bale).
Wahlberg refused to use a boxing stunt double in the film and dedicated himself to training for four and a half years prior to filming. He built a gym in his backyard and worked out for three hours each day, learning from boxing legends such as Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao.
There was a period in time when the real Micky and Dicky lived in Wahlberg ‘s house while the actors trained. Christian Bale prepared for his role as Dicky, the unreliable crack addict brother of Micky, by losing a significant amount of weight, thinning his hair and becoming gaunt to give the impression of a struggling drug addict.
The Fighter received largely positive reviews, and earned 7 Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor (Bale), and Best Supporting Actress (Leo).
- Malcolm X
Denzel Washington stars in the Spike Lee directed American biographical motion picture about the African American cult figure Malcolm X.
The film dramatizes key events in the leader’s life such as his incarceration, his conversion to Islam, his marriage, his pilgrimage to Mecca and revaluating his views concerning whites, and his assassination.
The film is based on the Autobiography of Malcolm X penned, as you would guess, by the man himself. Washington actually played the role of Malcolm about 10 or 11 years before the motion picture.
In addition to his previous experience with the character, Washington listened to all of Malcolm’s speeches and read the books, studied the man as much as possible. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and received one Golden Globe nomination.
- The Railway Man
Colin Firth stars as real-life former prisoner of war Eric Lomax in this emotional story of reconciliation and forgiveness.
Eric was held prisoner and tortured by the Japanese on the Thai-Burma Death Railway in World War II - but it’s only at the prompting of his wife Patti (Nicole Kidman) and best friend that he plots to return to the railway. Did Eric find revenge or reconciliation?
Read Eric’s memoir on which this new film is based, or pop along to the cinema from January 10th to find out.
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