Review of Cadillac Records (2008) by Mark S — 09 Oct 2009

Cadillac Records is a part of the slew of musical biopics, and one that doesn't really stand out from the others that have come out. Cadillac Records is also a movie that gets many things right and many things wrong, which is incredibly frustrating.

Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess is average. He doesn't really stand out from others, such as Jefferey Wright as Muddy Waters, Beyonce Knowles as Etta James, Columbus Short as Little Walter, and Mos Def as Chuck Berry.

Unfortunately, the movie moves at a snail's pace. It's less than two hours and feels like an extra 45 minutes more. Some scenes are really great. Such as Chess' death, the end (which is extremely satisfying), a scene involving Chuck Berry in a bar that plays country music which mirrors The Blues Brothers, and when Willie Dixon teaches Muddy Waters how to play "Hoochi-Coochie Man" (which just happened to plant a smile on my face).

Other scenes are poorly done. Such as Little Walter's death, which is so poorly done. One major complaint was that some of the syncing was poorly done, which is astonishing for a that made for professionals. The first scene where Waters plays his guitar doesn't match up with the music and the how his hands moves. It's just lazy. Oh and the direction is competent but nothing special.

Overall, Cadillac Records is a music biopic that focuses on "race music" and the history of Chess Records. What could've made for an interesting take on the stale and tired genre made for an average film that doesn't stand out from the best (Ray).