Review of Get On Up (2014) by Jonathan S — 23 Jul 2014
As a biopic, this one is fairly standard. It hits all the marks you expect; his youth, the discovery, the rise, and plenty of the high and low points of his career. As a character piece however, is where this film excels.
Chadwick Boseman perfectly captures the spirit and ego of James Brown. Supporting him is a very strong cast that includes Dan Ackroyd and Viola Davis. In partiicular, however, the chemistry between Boseman and Nelsan Ellis as Bobby Byrd is especially strong.
The filmmakers clearly had the "soul"--obviously major theme of the picture-- of James Brown in mind, as much of the film reflects the soulfulness expressed in many of his songs by showing us where it came from.
The film frequently juxtaposes different events in Brown's life, often to the tune of one of his songs. In the end, the movie does what it sets out to do, and celebrates the soul of one of the 20th century's most influential artists.
This review of Get On Up (2014) was written by Jonathan S on 23 Jul 2014.
Get On Up has generally received positive reviews.
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