Sir Dizzy

In 1955, a tough, skinny guitar-slinger who called himself J.R. Cash walked into the soon-to-be-famous Sun Recording Studios in Memphis. It was a moment that would have an indelible effect on American culture. With his driving freight-train chords, steel-eyed intensity and a voice as deep and black as night, Cash sang blistering songs of heartache and survival that were candid, full of real life and unlike anything heard before. That day kicked off the electrifying early career of Johnny Cash played with uncanny accuracy by Joaquin Phoenix. As he pioneered a fiercely original sound that blazed a trail for rock, country, punk, folk and rap stars to come, it came at quite a cost for the man himself whose self destrucitve tendancies nearly took his life years before he died in 2003.

Just when it looked like the icon might wind up tits up before his time, he was able to face down his demons and walk the razor sharp line in order to hang onto the most profound love of his life June Carter Cash also played with great aplomb by Reese Witherspoon. Much of Cash's worldwide fame is due to his well known struggle between self-destruction and redemption.

The great thing about doing a biopic of legendary musicians like Johnny Cash and Ray Charles last year is that they led such interesting lives rich with drama and quite similar in many respects. Obvioulsy both men fought and ultimatley conquered serious drug abuse issues at about the same time in the late 60's. Even more fascinating is that both men were haunted by the death of brothers in their early childhood which changed both men's lives dramatically. And while Jamie Foxx learned to play the piano for the role of Ray Charles, both Phoenix and Witherspoon actually did their own singing for Walk The Line.

Their stories are so rich and fantastic that both movies just got them to the end of the 1960's we'd run out of time. One of the biggest differneces with Walk The Line is that we get to see a little bit more of some other legends of that era - like Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. It's amazing to think that Cash, Lewis and Presley actually toured together for years. a Scalpers paradise to be sure. Unless Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon decide to put together a tour there's little chance that a triple bill of icons of such stature will ever be possible again.

When I went to see Ray, I knew a lot about Ray Charles as I was always a fan of him and his music, I have to confess, however, that I knew very little about Cash's music, and I was equally ignorant of the man's life. All of which made Walk The Line such a joyous and educational experience for me. Like many musicians of that era his story becomes dark and cloudy with the rampant drug use of the time and the real life drama that was his life translates well to the screen which I found absolutely enthralling. I can't imagine anyone coming out of the theater after Walk The Line not being a a huge new fan of the Man in Black. The music is stirringly rendered thanks to the help of T-bone Burnett and the many courageous things he did with his fame (ie playing live in prisons etc) are not only inspiring but make for terrific cinematic magic as well. I, for one, came away with an enormous amount of respect for both the man and his music.

It has been widely reported that Witherspoon grew up in Nashville with a healthy respect for the Cash and Carter families - in fact she played the part of Mother Maybelle Carter in her fourth grade play. Still she'd never sang in public - likewise Phoenix had little or no public singing experience which makes their performances all the more astonising, because they really carried it off as a man and wife who lived out much of their lives on stage. And while Jamie Foxx had a natural resemblance to Ray Charles, by the end of Walk The Line it was as though you'd been a fly on the wall of thier lives. Their performances are that seamless. Both actors will be rightfully considered when the awards season rolls around. Rarely do actors become so completely immersed in the characters they play, and much like Jamie Foxx, it's as though they transformed themselves into these American treasures. You can feel the love, the heartache, the passion, and the friendship between June Carter and Johnny Cash. In the end it's June's love for Johnny that ultimately saves him and you could feel that profound devotion between Joaquin and Reese. The movie was great, simply put. If you are a fan of Johnny Cash and his music you are absolutley going to adore this movie, and if you're like me (learning as you watch) I'd bet you're going to come away a new fan and feel like running out and buying Folsom Prison Blues, or any of the rest of this mans legendary recordings, I can't think of higher praise to heap on a film. Powerful, entertaining, real, and full of heart - do yourself a favor and buy a ticket and walk the line straight into your nearest theater, you just can't miss.

B+ as well.

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PJ

Juaquin Phoenix deserves two oscars for this performance - it's the most uncanny trick of the tail any actor has pulled off since Busey took on Buddy.

Nate Pearson

The other night I was watching PBS and they were playing the video of Johnny and June's performance at Folsom Prison - I guess I thought Cash was kind of a badass with his reputation and the whole Man in Black thing, but the song he played to those prisoners were gay as hell, I couldn't believe it. If I was going to play to a bucn of inmates, who were just sitting there in front of you at their cafeteria seats - I'd be playing the baddest shit I could think of. You wouldn't catch me singing some fruity gospel bullshit.

deadman22

I think walk the line was the worst movie ever made. Ray outshined this in all aspects. Phoenix and reese suck as actors and they shouldnt be rewarded witha oscar.This movie was a snoozer for all the right reasons