"There are a few notable remakes last year, King Kong, Pride and Prejudice, Walk The Line...uh, Ray, with white people." So says Jon Stewart at the Oscars.
Another biopic on a music legend like Ray, this time focusing on Johnny Cash, played by Joaquin Phoenix. It follows the usual biopic routine, namely from zero to hero, from nobody to somebody, from auditions to making it big, drug addiction, coming clean and making it even bigger...yadda yadda yadda......
Comparison to Ray is inevitable. Compared with the Ray Charles chronicle, this film is smoother in flow, and more cohesive IMO (Ray was too long and had some over indulgence in music).
I've never heard any of Cash's music, even my dad wasn't familiar with it......but they are all country and some are quite good in the film...you'll dig this if you dig country......
Joaquin Phoenix is good, considering that he did all the actual singing (the resemblence is almost uncanny). Reese Witherspoon is energetic and fun to watch, especially during on stage performing.....
Watch out for "cameos" from Jerry Lewis and Elvis Presley. :P
A healthy 8 out of 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment