Saw I saw Cadillac Records, and maybe the same person hypnotized me as Sergio, but I really enjoyed it....even more shock inducing is that Beyonce did not annoy me! (and y'all KNOW how I feel about Bey).
But in all seriousness, I was grabbed by this film. One thing I honestly believe about watching movies, and I've said this before, is that how one feels about a film greatly comes from their experiences and perspectives in life. In other words, I may love a film, and you may hate it, or think it's boring because we come from different perspectives and are probably not paying attention to the same themes or images as each other. This movie is not perfect, it could have gone much deeper into the characters and their lives, but it is completely attention grabbing all the same.
Some movies are so universal, that no matter what your walk of life is, you will get something out of it. I believe that Cadillac Records has a universality for the Black community for a variety of reasons.
It shows the excitement of being in a time and place in music when there was an explosion of creativity for Black artists. It came from nowhere, and no one even knew what to call it (eventually rock and roll). It reflects that no matter how we are oppressed as a race, our creativity is so huge, so spiritual and natural, it bubbles up even larger when we are held down the most.
These men and women were made up of the same stock our near ancestors were; sharecroppers, garbage men, the lowest of blue collar laborers. How many relatives and folks do/did you know that can play the hayell out of an instrument or sing their azz off? If you are like me, more than a few. The only difference between those who kept toiling and those that sprang out of oblivion with their talent, like raw country folks Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Little Walter is that God (or whatever you believe in) put his hand on them to make it.
There are those of us who like to feel they are so very bougie and important, or don't want to acknowledge their roots, or act like they were born in Buckingham Palace. The truth is, none of us are really more than 2 or 3 generations away from those who built the foundation of this country and it's music; raw, struggling, mostly uneducated, basic, blue collared folks who did what they had to to survive, and did what came most naturally to get relief from extreme hardships--two being singing and playing music. Cadillac Records shows all of that that rawness in it's glory; the fights, the love, the violence, the racism, the pride, the hard work and sacrifices.
Here is a blow by blow on the main actors/characters in the film:
Jeffrey Wright/Muddy Waters: I have a huge amount of respect for Jeffrey, but as I've said on this blog, a lot of times I find him over mannered and unnatural, like he is going by the method acting playbook verbatim. In this movie, it is the most interesting and exciting I've ever found him, and I was fascinated by the fact that the bigger his fame became, the more complicated his hair became. From rough country greased down, to marcelled waves, to carefully manicured pompadour--Jeffrey's hair was a distinct parallel to Muddy Waters' success. Jeffrey has huge presence in this movie.
Columbus Short/Little Walter: Amazing. It took me a while to even know it was him, as he was barely recognizable with the "conk" and mustache, looking like your Uncle Eddie from back in the day. His part was small, but his portrayal as a very troubled, addicted but talented harmonica player was off the hinges, right down to his southern accent and charm.
Eamonn Walker/Howlin' Wolf: People are making big noises over his performance...me? Meh. In all honesty, his part was a side piece, and not really imperative. He gave a few intense stares to stress out Muddy, but I didn't see much beyond that.
Mos Def/Chuck Berry: Another small part, but he kilt it whenever he showed up. Damn that dude is talented--I think he can do practically anything. In the film Chuck is portrayed as an activist against racism of sorts (who knew?). He apparently had no vices such as smoking, drinking, etc., except for the lone one of women. And what a freakin' whopper that one was...
Gabrielle Union/Muddy's wife: Sorry forgot her name in the film. Which is probably a testament to her performance. Don't get me wrong; I felt that she actually did an great job the first part of the film. But whenever it got too focused on her, there she was with her same ol' disingenuous performance. As long as she was part of someone else's central scene she did fine. As a total sidenote, I was very startled to see how much she looks like a little chipmunk with no make-up on. I guess that's why she always keeps it glamorous.
Adrian Brody/Dude That Owned Chess Reords: Token. I know Adrian can bring it, but it this movie he seems resigned to being in the background, tho he is a central character as the owner of Chess Records. It's OK, Adrian....next time.
Beyonce Knowles/Etta James: Yes. Hmmm. Let me say that I feel she was right for the part, except for the weight thing. I'll tell you why...Etta said that she felt Bey was "too bougie" to play the part, but let's be honest, those of us that are even mildly observant know that Beyonce and the Knowles clan are hella ghetto. Yes, ghetto. It's just her image that is "bougie" and the fact that Mama Knowles revels in the fact that she is "creole" instead of reading the real history and what it means.
Beyonce's inherent roughness is what makes this part work for her; her unrefined speech, her willingness to be led by men like Etta. Even her singing doesn't bother me, as I believe the very talented director, Darnell Martin, kept a very keen eye on Bey and her scenes to make sure she didn't swallow the movie. As a matter of fact, she wasn't even in the whole first half of it, which was one of it's saving graces, for sure.
So there you have it. Darnell Martin is a thoughtful director, I loved her outing "I Like It Like That", and even tho she has made a commercial movie, those indie sensibilities are still peeking through. Don't be fooled by the low box office numbers; it only opened in 700 theatres, which is nothing. I purposely didn't read any reviews before writing this so I could make up my own mind free and clear...Ms. Invisible says check it out.
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