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Visitors Review

2012-05-21 09:05:27

Excellent insight into American Culture and Music of the Period

This review is from: Cadillac Records (DVD) The artists were spot on with their portrayal of the Blues Greats. Yes, Leonard Chess' seamier side was glossed over, but this is not unusual for Hollywood. An absolutely great DVD.

Austin Kennedy 2012-05-20 17:04:30

It's fast, slick and well acted. Lots of energy and a soulful performance by Wright make this well worth the trip.

2012-05-17 00:49:19

Underdone and overlooked

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):1.SASS biopic of Leonard Chess, co-founder of Chess Records, played by Adrian Brody2.Quick look at Chicago in the time of segregation3.Stirring portrayal of Muddy Waters by Jeffrey Wright4.Short history of Little Walter, played by Columbus Short5.Quick peek at Chuck Berry, portrayed by Mos Def6.Quick leer at Etta James, portrayed by Beyonce7.Passing glimpses of Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker) and Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer)The problem with this movie is that it doesn't go deep enough into anything, skimming the historical and background stuff to focus instead on cars, cigarettes, alcohol and assorted misbehavior. The main thing you'll learn here is not what made these legends tick, but that they really, really liked Cadillacs.A good cast, great music and a story that could have been a lot better than this. The stories of these Rock and Roll Hall of Famers deserve more than this superficial skim.Amanda Richards, February 14, 2009

2012-05-16 12:12:10

Beautiful Casting!

This review is from: Cadillac Records (DVD) Loved the story, loved the casting, loved the music, loved everything about this movie!So I bought it!

2012-05-12 06:06:25

Cadillac

This review is from: Cadillac Records (DVD) My daughter nagged me to watch this movie with her when it came out on dvd, I did and loved it and the soundtrack. Ended up purchasing both.Cadillac Records

Bill Gibron 2012-05-11 12:51:46

as a tribute to Chess and its importance to modern music, this is half-baked heritage, entertaining but incomplete.

Cosmo Landesman 2012-05-10 15:41:39

The music is good, the suits are sharp, but it's the outstanding performances that wow. Walker is electrifying as Howlin' Wolf and Beyoncé - playing Etta James - has never been so sultry and sexy.

jzappa 2012-05-10 08:28:34

Impeccable Casting and Captivating Music Foreground a Less Than Original Celebratory Mini-Drama.

A bone of contention could be picked that modern rock 'n' roll wascatapulted not at Sun Records in Memphis, but at Chess Records and itsprevious South Side locations in view of the early 1950s. The RollingStones even recorded a song named after the address. The great Chessinventory consisted of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James, WillieDixon, Chuck Berry and Little Walter. They initially made Chicago thehome of the blues, and then rhythm and blues, which, like Muddyasserted, had a baby, and they named it rock 'n' roll.Darnell Martin's less than original but nonetheless musicallycaptivating biopic is a chronicle of the Chess story that relies to amuch greater extent on music than history, which is maybe as it shouldbe. It's an entertaining account of the progress of a black musicaltechnique, and the confused rationale of the white men who had aproclivity for it. The Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, walked intodistricts that were dicey for white men after midnight, concealingguns, found or were found by the most gifted musicians of the imminentnew wave, and recorded them in a studio so compact it combusted thesound out into the world.This celebratory mini-drama avoids the presence of Phil Chess andconcentrates on the mystifying, chain-smoking Leonard, played with atonal balance by Adrien Brody. Beginning with a first interface withMuddy Waters, who virtually came to be his creative partner, he visited"race music" radio stations in the South with his artists and payola,both discovered and built an appeal, and gave his musicians shiny newCadillacs but never a good look at their royalties. Played by JeffreyWright, an actor who should've by now become a major star, Muddy waslikely given just a divvy of the money he earned, but the more barbaricHowlin' Wolf, apparently less cultured, played by the smackinglyintense character actor Eamonn Walker, held onto his money, made hisown deals and shockingly even paid health benefits for his band.Considering the amount of characters and the time encompassed, Martinperforms a capable chore of delineating the backgrounds of some of hersubjects and doesn't go out of her way to judge Leonard's businessapproach. Did the singers know their Cadillacs were procured with theirown earnings? There is an affecting scene where Leonard clears thedecks for the first meeting between Etta James and her white father,Minnesota Fats. And an adjoining showcase of the disconcerted yetlasting marriage of Muddy Waters and his wife.The casting overall is the foremost element. Columbus Short broachesthe mounting internal banes of Little Walter, and Cedric theEntertainer plays the singer-songwriter Willie Dixon as an architectand unifier. It's hard for anyone to play such inimitable and alreadyfamous personalities, but it's also hard to reproduce something likethe personality of Mos Def, who makes Chuck Berry an incredibly gleefuland enjoyable presence.

2012-05-01 17:56:48

Great story, great music.

This review is from: Cadillac Records [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) One of the best true story music movies ever... Acting is just great, music is outstanding, sound and picture quality is great. (acturecommendally the sound is better then the picture for some reason but still great) I recommend this DVD to any music lovers. This is an important history of one of the most important genre of music ever that let to create Rock, Rock and Roll, R&B, even folk. See how everything started..

2012-05-01 16:49:02

The classic problem

This review is from: Cadillac Records [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) If the passion for the music had been sustained in the presentation of the tale, this would have been a transcendent picture. Had even half the energy employed in fabrication of events and relationships been turned to representation, this picture could have been great.As it stands, it is merely OK, and an insult to those who it alleges to portray. Hopefully the high production values, and loving attention paid to the music will serve as the first step on a road of discovery for newcomers, not the last.

Neil Smith 2012-04-30 10:48:38

It's a shame director Darnell Martin depends so heavily on the clichéd conventions of every other rags-to-riches biopic.

2012-04-30 08:40:11

good feeling

This review is from: Cadillac Records (DVD) very good movie with good actors the true story of the bluesmen is not here and credible but it's a very good fiction !

2012-04-24 08:43:07

Makes You a Part of the Blues

Okay, so Darnell Martin and Company took some liberties with this movie. That's all right by me, because they took some history and turned it into pure entertainment and that's what movies are all about, taking you out of your life and putting you in the story. And if they educate too, so much the better. And if the soundtrack is to beat the band, then you really have something.The last movie based on a true story that moved me like this was Pride of the Yankees. They took some liberties with Lou Gehrig's story too, but how accurate can you be in only a couple hours. They gotta hit the high points, they gotta make you care and they gotta be true to the real life people they're portraying. Ms. Martin does all that here. I'm predicting we won't be seeing her directing much TV anymore. This movie puts Darnell Martin right up there with Ron Howard, Clint Eastwood & Steven Spielberg. As far as film directors go, she is a true star.My dad owned Saturn Records in L.A. and I grew up listening to Muddy Waters, Etta James and later Aretha. True we sold a lot of Rock and The Beatles, Stones and Bob Dylan were on my musical plate as well, but I always new where Rock came from, but there is a whole couple generations out there now who don't have a clue. Thanks to Ms. Martin, now they do.I've been in my share of recording studios, was there when James Brown cut "I'm Black and I'm Proud" and from my experience, this movie nails the recording scenes. Well, maybe they're a bit more dramatic than the real thing, but other than that Ms. Martin puts you right in the studio, shows you how it really was. She makes you a part of the blues and you can't praise a director any higher than that.

2012-04-24 02:51:55

Cadillac Records

This review is from: Cadillac Records (DVD) Video and sound are off. It's like that thru half of the movie. Some times it straightens out. Sometimes not

2012-04-23 04:25:53

they forgot about the truth--but they do deliver a solid gold gem of a movie

Cadillac Records tells the story of Chess Records, a recording company founded by the two Chess brothers. Chess Record helped make Etta James, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf and so many more artists famous or even living legends; and that's wonderful. The plot moves along at a good pace although this is not the way things happened in real life and that's a shame. For example, there were two Chess brothers but in this film we only see one of them, Leonard Chess. The plot is also a bit complicated since there are several principle actors in this film. Nevertheless, Cadillac Records is a story about music and race relations; it provides a great deal of insight into just how well good music brought about positive change in American society. The cinematography is excellent and the choreography for the crowded fight scenes really shines. The acting is outstanding.The movie itself begins with a brief shot of Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer) who narrates at times to tell the entire story as a flashback. We quickly meet Leonard Chess (Adrian Brody), an ambitious young man who wants to get ahead in this world. Leonard first opens a club in Chicago; but just about the time he meets a few budding artists including Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Little Walter (Columbus Short) and Jimmy Rogers (Kevin Mambo), Leonard's nightclub mysteriously burns down. Leonard takes the insurance money and buys space for a recording studio--and after a few bribes to some disc jockeys he gets his first recordings from these artists onto the airwaves. Their careers take off like soaring jets and Chess Records clearly will be around to stay. Leonard also starts a tradition that if a singer makes a hit record he will reward them with a Cadillac. Over time other budding artists including Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer), Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker) and Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles) become part of the "family" that is Chess Records. It's fascinating to watch the movie; we see how fatherly Leonard Chess is to his team. For example, Chess always makes sure that Muddy Waters has some money to get by long after Muddy's records have stopped selling. Unfortunately, however, we also see Leonard begin to cheat on his wife Revetta (Emmanuelle Chriqui) with Etta James; and Muddy Waters and other musicians sometimes accuse Leonard of taking advantage of them. In addition, these musicians carry enough weapons on them to make me think this is some kind of gangster movie cloaked in the guise of a musical! There's much more action in this movie, too.But the plot is really not the true message of this film. It's particularly important to tell this story because so few people remember who Muddy Waters was; they may not own any of his albums and I myself had never heard of Howlin' Wolf or Willie Dixon. I enjoyed some incredible acting as the movie shows the creative and interpersonal tensions between them that must have built up over years of working together so closely. The DVD has a couple of featurettes about the film and how they made it happen. There are deleted scenes and we get an optional commentary with writer/director Darnell Martin. Cadillac Records may not be the most truthful take on the history of Chess Records; but it packs a punch and it's quite enjoyable. You'll learn a lot about some great musicians, all of whom broke ground in their day. I highly recommend this for music aficionados and musicals in general.

Matthew Turner 2012-04-22 22:02:21

Enjoyable whizz through a chapter of musical history, with a terrific soundtrack and great performances across the board.

infinitylies 2012-04-21 22:38:51

this movie lets appreciate music that would otherwise be overlooked

The trouble with these kind of movies is that they will never satisfythe purists among us. OK so maybe it glosses over the facts and makesthe history all shiny and Hollywood, but I will see how many peoplewill come away from this movie WANTING to find out more about thehistory of blues.So what if its not perfect, if you want a perfect history you will goand buy a documentary on the subject. I want to be entertained when Iwatch a movie not sit there and critique history.I think all the performances in the movie are convincing and great. Iespecially loved Beyonce, she just seems to ooze talent, although theon-screen time is shorter compared to Dreamgirls, she is extremelycommanding.As for the covering Etta's song, these are outstanding. I am in lovewith the songs all over again, and in love with these versions.

2012-04-21 08:32:49

Taking liberties with the truth.

While I enjoyed the movie as entertainment, I felt that the whole essence and soul of what was Chess Records was somewhat compromised. As cozy nostalgia for a time in history when black American music was something to get excited about, this movie is okay... but it wanders from the path of truth and righteousness and makes you want to reach for the original music. Beyonce Knowles (as Etta James) is clearly out of her depth... and the snippet of hip-hop at the end only serves to show how African American culture has devolved into forgettable mush. I mean, come on... who is going to care about Q-Tip or Coolio in 50 years time? Worth a look, but the truth is considerably stretched. The music is still good... but the performances, while slick, are not a patch on the originals.

mpbuchwald 2012-04-17 21:31:11

Listen to the Original Music Instead

"Cadillac Records" trades in vulgar racist stereotypes that demean anddefame the real life persons upon whom the film allegedly is based. Theevil formula in use is one familiar to anyone who has heard the type ofmisleading, underhanded and backstabbing gossip whose polish iscamouflage for malice. Each character is given a seemingly admiringbuild up, only to be savaged by a scurrilous and scandalous focus onsuch vulgar vices as foul-mouthed language, fornication, drug addictionand avarice. The film-makers, who are much less talented than theirsubjects, seem to be saying that the price a great artist must pay forhis gift is to be thought of as a guttersnipe. The lurid imagespresented are a blight upon the memory of some of the great bluesartists of all time. I've met several of the named individuals depicted and don't see anyconnection between the real life persons and the ones presented onscreen. To give you an idea of how far off the mark the film is, inover 40 years of being a devoted blues fan I have never once heard ablues musician or another fan use profanity of any kind, while in thedialogue of the film profanity is closer to being the rule rather thanthe exception. The film-makers had the option of highlighting anydramatic aspect of their subject's lives that they could think of, andchose to devote an enormous amount of attention to ugly, unimportantand possibly non-existent details, showing incredibly poor artisticjudgment.I don't doubt that the makers of "Cadillac Records" had the advice ofattorneys before they put their travesty on screen and that they willclaim, if challenged, that the incidents presented are all true tolife. But I very strongly doubt that they'd be able to presentconvincing proof of some of the more objectionable content, which Ibelieve may have been based on questionable rumors, mere anecdotes orunsubstantiated gossip. One thing at least is terribly clear: whateverthe facts are, the emphasis is entirely wrong. The great Chessrecording stars were not stupid, lecherous, violent or greedy; theywere popular geniuses beloved of millions of people all over the world,which is how they must be remembered. Don't see this awful film if youcan possibly avoid it.

2012-04-17 04:57:23

Lightning in a bottle

If you're more than passing familiar with the birth and growth of Chess Records of Chicago and the careers of Leonard Chess, Muddy Waters, Etta James, etc., there's a lot that's frustrating about this movie. How did Chuck Berry end up singing "No Particular Place To Go" in the late 50s when he didn't write and record it until 1964? Where's Phil Chess, brother of Leonard, and Marshall Chess, son of Leonard, who had a LOT to do with the success of the label? The title at the beginning that says "This film is based upon true events" rings a lot more accurately than one might suppose, with the chronology all out of whack and a LOT of supposition about how things were back then by Darnell Martin, who wrote the screenplay as well as directed this movie.And yet, when you see how ably all of the actors embody their roles and how much Martin has gotten the grit and muscle of this piece of American musical history, these frustrations drop away and seem like mere nitpicking. More than anything it shows the crossroads where two different minority cultures---African-Americans and Jewish emigrants from Europe---find a bond and help it grow, through a combination of mutual self-interest and admiration. It doesn't hurt, too, that the music throughout is HOT, even after all these years. All of the actors are superb, with Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf and Columbus Short as the doomed Little Walter particularly grabbing your attention every time they're onscreen. Adrien Brody's portrayal of Leonard Chess shows a man who's sincere about his love for the music he records and the musicians making it, while at the same time not above bribes and a little backstage double-dealing to further his ends. And Jeffrey Wright's Muddy Waters and Beyonce's Etta James ring true to their sources and then some.In sum: a real treat for first-time viewers, and one of the best films of 2008.