The best biopics of all time (how 'American Sniper' falls short)

Anthony Quinn and Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia

After seeing American Sniper -- which I didn't like -- I've been thinking a lot about what makes a biopic enjoyable and successful, at least for me.

One of my big problems with Sniper was that it was too preoccupied with being reverent towards its real life subject, the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. The movie would have been more interesting if it was willing to look at his darker aspects.

The best biopics are willing to give us a more fully realized portrait of person. Accuracy isn't the most important aspect to me, after all we're mostly talking about Hollywood movies. I also don't mind if a portrayal is mostly flattering or heroic -- it's hard, for instance, to make Gandhi look bad. I just love when a true life story is told in unconventional or illuminating way.

Here are just a few examples of biographical films that in my estimation are masterpieces:

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - T.E. Lawrence is an enormously complex and largely unknown figure (particularly to American audiences) which makes him ripe for realization on the big screen. This is one of the greatest film epics of all time, featuring a never-better Peter O'Toole in the lead role. The Lawrence character is moody, romantic, eccentric and ultimately tragic -- this David Lean movie and performance take you on a real journey and the movie remains timeless.

Malcolm X (1992) - Spike Lee sought inspiration from Lean's 1962 film for this moving tribute to the slain civil rights icon, and it's easy to see why. The film -- one of my all time favorites -- takes the Malcolm character from street hood to street preacher in convincing fashion and benefits from the best, most charismatic Denzel Washington performance of all time. The movie also owes a great debt to Alex Haley's celebrated Autobiography of Malcolm X.

The Elephant Man

Gandhi (1982) - Sir Ben Kingsley does an uncanny job of making the Indian activist who dedicated his life to non-violence seem like a living, breathing human being, instead of just a concept. This Best Picture winner is a powerful history lesson but also an immersive character study. The movie is unflinching in its portrayal of British colonial oppression and the Kingsley performance stays with you long after the credits have rolled.

Nixon (1995) - Oliver Stone's portrait of the infamous former President Richard Nixon is surprisingly sympathetic considering the fact that he is an unabashedly liberal filmmaker. This sprawling, unjustly overlooked film captures the essence of Nixon's deeply wounded psyche and elevates it to Shakesperean levels of operatic drama. And Anthony Hopkins shines in one of his greatest roles.

Capote (2005) - My favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman performance of all time anchors this beautifully understated look at Truman Capote and his creation of the In Cold Blood myth. A pretty unflattering portrayal of the author, but not an entirely off-putting one. You see Capote both as a restless creative genius but also as a manipulative egomaniac. Meanwhile, Hoffman physically transforms himself to "become" Capote, and he nails that unique, unmistakable voice.

The Social Network (2010) - Not a traditional biopic by any means, but easily one of the most exciting based-on-true-story films of the last decade for sure. Few know how accurate Jesse Eisenberg's stellar performance as Mark Zuckerberg is in this "how Facebook happened" movie, but that tension helps add to this brilliant movie's mystique. A fast-talking cast, whip-smart editing and dialogue and a brooding soundtrack help complete the package -- I am still shocked this film didn't win Best Picture.

The Elephant Man (1980) - This startlingly conventional tearjerker from David Lynch is one of the most heartbreaking movies you'll ever see. John Hurt is a powerhouse as the horribly deformed John Merrick, a man who was rescued from freak shows to become one of the most admired men in London. A spectacularly photographed and acted film, which has a lot of heart but also some genuinely eerie moments as well.

Raging Bull (1980) - Often hailed as Martin Scorsese's greatest film (I'm partial to Taxi Driver myself), this biopic about Jake LaMotta, an abusive, half-crazy boxer, immerses you in a world and forces you to identify with a pretty reprehensible guy. Somehow you realize something profound about American culture and the human spirit after spending two hours with this mess of a man. You'd think the real LaMotta would want nothing to do with this film, but he was a technical consultant on it.

Milk (2008) - Sure the 1984 documentary The Times of Harvey Milk is superior, but Gus Van Sant's timely and earnest tribute to a truly groundbreaking political figure is wonderful in its own right. Sean Penn gives perhaps the most likable performance of his career in the title role, and the film does an extraordinary job of capturing a very specific time and place. The film really establishes the stakes and speaks to today as much as the era in which the film is set.

Lady Sings the Blues (1972) - This apparently wildly inaccurate Billie Holiday biopic is as romantic as it is terribly tragic. Diana Ross is stellar in the leading role, Billy Dee Williams oozes sex appeal and Richard Pryor gives a heartbreaking supporting performance as Holiday's dedicated "Piano Man". This landmark in black cinema still holds up, and it boasts one of the loveliest soundtracks of its time.

Johnny Depp in Ed Wood

12 Years a Slave (2013) - The reigning Best Picture winner tells the inspirational true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery. Yes, this film is harrowing at times, but it is also ultimately about the triumph of the human spirit. Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a performance for the ages as Northop and the excellent supporting cast is his equal. Simply put, this is the best film about American slavery to date, a real game-changer.

Lincoln (2012) - Steven Spielberg wisely doesn't make his film about our nation's most celebrated president one long exercise in hero worship, instead he looks at the messy, sometimes corrupt process of politics. Daniel Day-Lewis does much of the heavy lifting with his flawless lead performance, talk about becoming a character; he's like a photo come to life. An old fashioned film in many ways, but if it ain't broke...

Ed Wood (1994) - Tim Burton's loving ode to one of the worst directors of all time marks the end of his most iconic run of movies. And even though Batman, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands were bigger hits, this one feels like Burton's most personal. Remember when Johnny Depp was good? If you don't, look no further then this quirky, black-and-white biopic about a totally sincere hack who likes to wear his wife's clothes.