Walk the Line (B or 3/4 stars)
Joaquin Phoenix channels cherished folk singer Johnny Cash in 'Walk the Line', a biopic directed by James Mangold. Cash (Phoenix) grew up on an Arkansas cotton farm. And it is there where he idolizes his older brother, Jack. To him, Jack can do no wrong (particularly in the eyes of their drunk father, well-played by Robert Patrick). We learn that his mother is musical & listens to the radio often; little Johnny took after his mother in this respect. But then, a tragedy befalls the family & it sucks the life out of him. The film then jumps forward & we learn that Johnny, now a teen, joins the army, & goes to Korea. While overseas, Johnny keeps correspondence with sweetheart, Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). They speak on the phone often. And he proposes marriage.
There's a great string of scenes that show how Johnny got his 1st break in the music industry by frequenting a little hole-in-the-wall recording studio. From here, he catapults into semi-stardom when he joins a tour consisting of none other than Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, & June Carter (who he always had a crush on). She is played by the wonderful Reese Witherspoon. The next 30-45 minutes of the film focuses on the carelessness with which he treats his marriage, as well as his lurid descent into sex, drugs, and rock & roll. You feel somewhat bad for Vivian because she truly loves him & wishes him success. But Johnny lets his intense drug addiction, & his addiction to June Carter take a hold. Melodrama ensues.
You know, 'WTL' is a pretty decent movie. I enjoyed it on a superficial/voyeuristic level. The period details are great. The musical performances are extremely fun. But, for me, there is a lack of ambitious storytelling which normally indicates a great film. A lonely wife, a crush on a celebrity, drug use on tour ... we've seen this before; and it's handled in a very standard way. If Johnny Cash was so amazing as to make a movie about his life, then the film struggled to present him as either an earth-shattering artist OR a man who could be 'longed-for'. So, I felt a small nagging sense of 'who cares' as the movie progressed.
Story aside, I found myself tapping my toe in all the musical numbers. The chemistry btwn. Phoenix & Witherspoon in 2 particular numbers (It Ain't Me Babe, Jackson) is astounding ... you can't help but have a smile on your face. And it's that chemistry that saves the film. It just seems like there are sections of her/their life together that are missing & we're meant to make up in our mind what went on. Witherspoon is sweet, endearing, & believable as June Carter. But I wish I could have seen more dimension in her role. And Joaquin Phoenix is superb in his physical, musical, & emotional portrayal of Johnny. His performance is the stuff of Oscar glory. And so, 'Walk the Line' the kind of film that offers many small pleasures, but gives little information that you probably didn't already know about the subject (Cash). I recommend the film; mostly to check out Reese & Joaquin's portrayals. But I was more involved & affected by last year's musical biopic, Ray.
There's a great string of scenes that show how Johnny got his 1st break in the music industry by frequenting a little hole-in-the-wall recording studio. From here, he catapults into semi-stardom when he joins a tour consisting of none other than Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, & June Carter (who he always had a crush on). She is played by the wonderful Reese Witherspoon. The next 30-45 minutes of the film focuses on the carelessness with which he treats his marriage, as well as his lurid descent into sex, drugs, and rock & roll. You feel somewhat bad for Vivian because she truly loves him & wishes him success. But Johnny lets his intense drug addiction, & his addiction to June Carter take a hold. Melodrama ensues.
You know, 'WTL' is a pretty decent movie. I enjoyed it on a superficial/voyeuristic level. The period details are great. The musical performances are extremely fun. But, for me, there is a lack of ambitious storytelling which normally indicates a great film. A lonely wife, a crush on a celebrity, drug use on tour ... we've seen this before; and it's handled in a very standard way. If Johnny Cash was so amazing as to make a movie about his life, then the film struggled to present him as either an earth-shattering artist OR a man who could be 'longed-for'. So, I felt a small nagging sense of 'who cares' as the movie progressed.
Story aside, I found myself tapping my toe in all the musical numbers. The chemistry btwn. Phoenix & Witherspoon in 2 particular numbers (It Ain't Me Babe, Jackson) is astounding ... you can't help but have a smile on your face. And it's that chemistry that saves the film. It just seems like there are sections of her/their life together that are missing & we're meant to make up in our mind what went on. Witherspoon is sweet, endearing, & believable as June Carter. But I wish I could have seen more dimension in her role. And Joaquin Phoenix is superb in his physical, musical, & emotional portrayal of Johnny. His performance is the stuff of Oscar glory. And so, 'Walk the Line' the kind of film that offers many small pleasures, but gives little information that you probably didn't already know about the subject (Cash). I recommend the film; mostly to check out Reese & Joaquin's portrayals. But I was more involved & affected by last year's musical biopic, Ray.