Superb biopic of legendary country singer Loretta Lynn. Sissy Spacek, who incidentally has a belting voice, deservedly won the Best Actress Oscar for her moving portrayal of the naive Kentucky farm girl who became a singing superstar against all the odds, while Tommy Lee Jones is dynamite as her husband Doolittle. Beverly D'Angelo is also a revelation as Loretta's close friend, the late great Patsy Cline. An inspirational rags-to-riches story, only to be avoided if you have a strong aversion to find out more...

The life of comedienne Fannie Brice, from her early days in the Jewish slums of the Lower East Side, when only her mother believed Fanny could make it in show business, to her hilarious debut as a rollerskating chorus-girl and on to the height of her career as a star with the Ziegfeld Follies. Unfortunately she fell in love, and married, the wrong man; handsome, urbane but inept gambler Nick. Streisand won the best actress Oscar in this classic musical. find out more...

A stunning dramatisation of the mesmerising life and ultimately tragic times of Edith Piaf, the ‘little sparrow'. The singer's life is beautifully evoked, as is the time, while Marion Cotillard in the central role is perfection. A moving and marvellous delight.....'Je ne regrette rien'. find out more...

William Powell stars in this Oscar winning biopic charting the fall and rise and fall (and rise...) of Florence Ziegfeld's showbiz extravaganzas, including his legendary Follies. The cast is excellent (which features some original Ziegfeldians) and captures the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants optimism that dominated Ziegfeld's tumultuous career. The music is great and the dancing sublime. Do yourself a favour! Watch it and cry for an age when such reckless decadence was something to be admired... find out more...

A brief skim over Johnny Cash's childhood in rural Arkansas and then we leap into his early career, powering along through the highs and lows until we reach 1968, a good time for the legendary balladeer and a perfect place to end a biog on a high note. Walk The Line is a film made by the two central performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. The live scenes are hypnotic and the chemistry between the two never less than utterly convincing. Like 'Ray' this is a film that smoothes over find out more...