Review of Cadillac Records (2008) by Pete S — 23 Aug 2009

Thoroughtly enjoyable portrayal of a musical subject that is dear to me - namely the blues and Chsee records. Brody as Chess himself not too bad though I rarely find him totally convincing. But the real successes are Beyonce as Etta James, very real.

Mos Def (usually an irritatin twat I find) as Chuck Berry was very good but Wright as the brooding Muddy Waters was very good. They might not all of them look like the people they portray but it's important they get across the feel of the role.

Even though Chess records gave formerly unrecognised black blues singers the chance to take centre stage it was still the white paymasters making most of the cash. Then along came the white middle class devotees who started to make real money especially those from the UK and this showed in the menacing undertone that someone like Howlin' Wolf carried around with him - brilliantly played by Eamonn Walker I might add (of Marigold from In Sickness and Health former fame).