It's good as a soundtrack, but wont reproduce the effect of playing a CD. Beyoncé certainly turns in a memorable performance, only hampered by memories of Diana Ross’s portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972).Ī film about music would be lost without a great audio track and the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 reproduces the nice rich bass with a clean top end, it’s just a shame that the music didn’t jump out of the film a bit more. The rest of the cast, and to be honest they are too numerous to mention, all turn in good performances, so it is difficult to know who gets the acting laurels. Even with such perfectly cast actors Mos Def stands out with his ironic and often amusing portrayal of Chuck Berry. He plays friendship as well as he plays confrontation, especially when it comes to Howlin' Wolf played by Eamonn Walker, who imbues his character with an unnerving level of quiet and not so quiet aggression. Jeffrey Wright ( Ali (2001), Quantum of Solace (2008)) turns in a great performance as Muddy Waters, which creates a natural friendship with Leonard at a time in America’s history when such a thing would be seen as an aberration in many States. The film skirts around just how much he ripped off anyone signed to his label. Adrien Brody ( The Pianist (2002), King Kong (2005)) plays Leonard, good friend to Muddy Waters and a publicist for black music, but a man who was not above bribing DJ’s to get his records played, or giving his artists Cadillacs which were actually paid for out of their own royalties.
CADILLAC RECORDS DVD PLUS
Of course, on the plus side, there is the music, the influence of which should not be underestimated as it became the root of most rock and roll music. Secondly, music biopics seem to have hit a bit of a rut as far as structure is concerned and this one barely deviates from a tried and trusted formula. The reality is that you will watch this film for its music rather than its historical accuracy. Are we watching a film about the birth of an influential music form, or possibly about Leonard Chess’s sometimes dubious business practices? Chess Records was originally founded by Leonard and his brother Phil, who doesn’t even appear in the film. The film’s two main faults are, firstly, that it tries to cover too much information in a given time, leaving a lot of the plot elements feeling rushed or not adequately explored. The film won four awards and was nominated for a further fourteen, including a Golden Globe. The film charts their rise and their eventual implosion created by success. It’s a story which charts the rise of the blues into the greater consciousness of America, but also it is the story of the friendship between Muddy Waters and Leonard Chess. From club to record company is a logical step and Leonard opens Chess Records.Ĭadillac Records (2008) is a music biopic directed by Darnell Martin, which charts the rise of the real life record label Chess Records and the artists it promoted. Opening a club, he starts to gather together artists which would eventually become some of the biggest names in blues. Leonard Chess, a polish immigrant, refuses to accept his lot in life and dreams of bigger things, especially Cadillacs. Cadillac Records Starring: Adrien Brody, Beyoncé Knowles and Jeffrey Wright
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