Review of Get On Up (2014) by Phil P — 01 Dec 2014

"There ain't nobody else like me around".

Based-upon is a nice term, it allows for quite significant artistic license. Edited particular parts in said persons life to seem more cinematic. Of course unless you're a die-hard fan of whoever's life has been edited then you won't know. Which is where I come at with 'Get On Up', I have no idea how true this is, his personality his outbursts, how he treats people. In this case does it matter? no not really - this isn't taking credit for extracting Iranian hostages when it could so of easily been changed (you know). No, all that matters as far as I'm concerned is whether I enjoyed it. Sure realism would be nice but it's impossible to even try and contemplate that with the 'based on' moniker.

Following the life of the immortal and immensely talented 'James Brown' (Chadwick Boseman) - the godfather of soul and one of the most influential musicians of all time. Quite a task to live up to. It chronicles his life at various times - some of his life growing up in 'Georgia', his run in with the law, his commitment to music. It does skimp on his personal life a touch, there's also a lack of music. There's plenty of before music and after but little is about his attachment to it. There's small looks into his family but it feels light. Where teh film really comes alive is his rise, the formation of 'The Famous Flames' and his bond with 'Ben' (Dan Aykroyd). There's a pace to it that seems to lack towards the start where it seems to be finding its footing and towards the end where things slow right down.

One thing teh film does really well is bringing Brown's personality to the forefront, his idea of "taking it and flipping it". In one scene seeing he's surrounded by "Honkies" all in knitted sweaters, cheesy smiles. The next scene he's surrounded by his own people and bare chested. He was always about doing the different thing at any cost (apparently people in the professional capacity liking him) and his own unique sound - at one point dismissing 'The Rolling Stones'. One thing that will be taken from this is 'Boseman' his performance is excellent and embodies the energetic presence of 'Brown'.

It may not always have that energy and flashiness that 'Brown' himself exuded on stage but it's a solid look at the great man. His abrasive, anything goes attitude is shown here in abundance. It would have been nice to see more about teh creation of the music and his wife beyond the short scenes. His presence is the main focus arguably his biggest attribute and as a look at 'James Brown' you could argue that makes it a huge success but there was more to him than that and it's disappointing that, that wasn't shown here.