Walk The Line

[Guest mlbaseballtalk]

Now that was a pretty darn good bio pic

I can see reviewers left with wanting more, but sometimes the director/writer/whatever have a story that they want to tell and by God they should have that story!

Interestingly enough, it seemed very much like Ray in terms of trying to tell the story of an icon getting to his iconic status. Both leave off with the legend on a straight and narrow path heading towards the last 3 decades of their lives in peace and prosperity.

Ironically both died in the same year!

[Guest mlbaseballtalk]

By the way, not in the movie, but little known fact that in one of Cash's concerts in San Quentin, one of the inmates was turning 21 in prison, but not life without parole, the Okie From Muskogee, Merle Haggard

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I gave this four, but I probably would have gone for 9 on a 1 to 10 scale.

This is a very well told story. Joaquin Phoenix was compelling as Johnny Cash, and Reese Witherspoon was likeable as June Carter (D-Dad was more taken with her, although I suspect possibly for other reasons....). The actors performed their own music - a controversial decision, but I think that helped make the portrayals more realistic and interesting to watch.

With respect to the idea of comparing this to last year's Ray - this is a better told story with a stronger overall cast, although Phoenix was no Jamie Foxx (Foxx's performance is the type that you see very rarely, IMO).


Phoenix is a sure bet to get an Oscar nomination, although the Best Actor category is going to be tough this year (David Strathairn in Good Night and Good Luck and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Capote were fabulous).

D-Dad commented that there were scenes that made you feel uncomfortable, as if you were intruding on private moments. When a film makes you feel that way, it's a sign that it was very well done.

[Valadius]

This was a very good film.

Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon should get Oscar nominations. The actor who played Johnny Cash's father might also get a nomination.

And how cool was it to see actors playing Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens all in one movie?

[Guest mlbaseballtalk]

Valadius wrote: This was a very good film. And how cool was it to see actors playing Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens all in one movie?

Buddy and Ritchie are not in the film

That was Roy Orbision with the coke bottle glasses (same record label as Cash, Presley, Jerry Lee and Carl Perkins)

Not sure who you got Valens confused with

[Valadius]

When Johnny Cash is drunk in that auditorium, and falls over in his chair, and June Carter walks in and yells at them and says she's leaving the tour, there's a Hispanic-looking guy in a wifebeater playing the guitar and he says, "I don't see why any of you try playing like this" or something to that effect.

[Elster88]

I gave it four. I'm not a fan of his music at all, but the movie was pretty interesting, and Joaquin and Reese were good. I hadn't realized until the closing credits came up that they did their own vocals.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

We saw it last night and thought it was great.

Telling a whole life story that complicated is obviously a hard thing to do.

They chose to focus on the love story and tell the story of the music in the performance scenes. That was probably the right choice. The performance scenes were downright thrilling, especially the tight shots of Cash singing, and the wider ones where he flips the guitar around to his back and violently leans into the mic in a single motion like a shortstop turning the DP. Georgeous shots, and they'll stay with me.

That said, as a fan I probably would have been happy to sit through another 30 minutes to learn a little more about the music & words themselves came to be and how he made that sound with his voice, if that could possibly be explained.

Phoenix didn't sound quite like Cash -- who can? -- but pretty good anyway. Witherspoon was good too though it looked like she never aged. The actors playing Cash's father and Sam Phillips were both tremendous in their scenes.

Out of 5 stars? I'll give it 4.5.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Cash has two autobiographies out there. I recommend them both.

The first one --- Man in Black --- has more Jesus.

[Elster88]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: The actors playing Cash's father

I'm still afraid of the T-1000.