|
Music-based biographies can be good showcases for their stars, who get to imitate other stars in acting and singing.
So it is with "Cadillac Records," a predictable but efficient portrait of Chess Records, the label that had plenty of major and influential names in its stable in the '50s and '60s.
Adrien Brody may have won an Oscar in "The Pianist," but he's ironically not as musical this time as Leonard Chess, the man behind the music. He was a somewhat unlikely patron of the talents he fostered, one of the most interesting aspects of the story.
Among those talents: Etta James, played by Beyonce Knowles. Of course, she gives the part her all vocally, particularly on the signature song "At Last." Mos Def is rock legend Chuck Berry, and recent James Bond cohort Jeffrey Wright is Muddy Waters, so the casting is really smart here.
The approach is strictly textbook, but you can't really fault that. The story is what it is, and even if writer-director Darnell Martin doesn't push "Cadillac Records" beyond its logical limits, that's OK. You get a good history of what Chess was all about -- both the man and his label -- and you get some terrific song renditions, especially from Beyonce, but that's a no-brainer.
It may not top the movie charts in creative terms, but "Cadillac Records" is still worth a spin.
(Rated R)
|
Print Story
Email to a Friend
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Google
Newsvine
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Yahoo