The man show
Paging Oscar: Welcome to the biopic-dome.

By Cheryl Eddy

'The Motorcycle Diaries'

Subject: A young Che Guevara (Gael García-Bernal)

Logline: Before he was a famed revolutionary – and long before he became an omnipresent T-shirt icon – Guevara traveled across South America via motorbike, in what would become an eye-opening, character-building, hugely influential experience in his life.

Diagnosis: Sundance Film Festival audiences cheered this Spanish-language film, which boasts a star who's already a stateside favorite after Amores perros and Y tu mamá también. (Oct. 1)

'The Manson Family'

Subject: Charles Manson (Marcelo Games)

Logline: When I get to the bottom, I go back to the top of the slide, and I stop, and I turn, and I watch Jim Van Bebber's pic about everybody's favorite crime-spree cult.

Diagnosis: Creepy-crawling into theaters just in time for Halloween. (Oct. 29)

'Ray'

Subject: Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx)

Logline: The ridiculously gifted musician, who passed away just months ago, didn't let a host of obstacles – including his blindness – stand in the way of becoming "the genius of R&B." Are you not uplifted?

Diagnosis: Foxx is the best thing about the generally great Collateral, and he's well deserving of a big showcase like this. Plus, he does his own piano playing – in your face, Adrien Brody! (Oct. 29)

'Beyond the Sea'

Subject: Bobby Darin (Kevin Spacey)

Logline: Spacey directs himself – and sings – in this biopic of the crooner famous for "Mac the Knife" and the title tune, marrying Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth), and, uh ... wearing snappy suits and stuff.

Diagnosis: Spacey has two Oscars but hasn't set the world on fire lately. And frankly, are we living in a world that's crying out for a Darin biopic? Paging Keyser Söze! (Nov. 12)

'Finding Neverland'

Subject: Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp)

Logline: Reality and storybook fantasy switch-hit in this film, which explores how Barrie was inspired to write his masterpiece after befriending a single mum (Kate Winslet) and her brood of lively kids.

Diagnosis: Depp can do no wrong at this point. Even if the film's title does conjure up some latter-day Michael Jackson ickiness. (Nov. 12)

'Kinsey'

Subject: Alfred Kinsey (Liam Neeson)

Logline: In 1948, he wrote the still-controversial Sexual Behavior in the American Male, and subsequently helped launch the sexual revolution. Naturally, he also shocked the socks off quite a few people in the process.

Diagnosis: Writer-director Bill Condon, who made magic out of Gods and Monsters, is perfectly matched with the material; Phantom Menace association notwithstanding, Neeson rarely disappoints. (Nov. 12)

'Alexander'

Subject: Alexander the Great (Colin Farrell)

Logline: The hunky conqueror (sporting historically accurate eyeliner and a blond dye job) gets the epic treatment, courtesy of writer-director Oliver Stone.

Diagnosis: Elephants! Huge battles! Oedipal weirdness with Angelina Jolie playing Farrell's mother, while everyone who reads Star magazine knows of their supposed fling during filming! Who doesn't want to see this one? (Dec. 17)

'The Aviator'

Subject: Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio)

Logline: Martin Scorsese directs this look at the eccentric mogul, germophobe, and air-travel innovator, who dated movie stars who're re-created here by other movie stars (Katharine Hepburn = Cate Blanchett, etc.).

Diagnosis: Fortunately, the memory of Gangs of New York has almost faded enough to make a second Marty-Leo matchup enticing. (Dec. 17)