Review of Walk the Line (2005) by Stevenf — 22 Mar 2013

Johnny Cash undoubtedly left an everlasting legacy after his death in 2003, and there was inevitably going to be a biopic of the iconic country singer, so soon perhaps was surprising, but here we have it, and a truly riveting, compelling and entertaining tale has been told by director James Mangold.

We start off seeing John 'JR' Cash inside Folsom prison, about to take to the stage in one of the most high profile concerts in recent memory. Joaquin Phoenix steps into the famed singer's shoes, and does an emotionally satisfying and shockingly accurate rendition of the Man in Black.

The film then seemingly transforms into a flashback, as Johnny thinks back to his days as a Christian child, not at all the favourite son of his discipline happy dad, he often listens to bible tunes on the radio, to the dismay of his father.

After a tragic accident, we see a grown up Johnny joining the army, and he spends most of his free time writing songs, mainly things that seem to annoy him or that are constantly on his mind. He soon returns home to a wife and a life not quite what he had hoped for as a door to door salesman, he happens upon a recording studio run by Sam Philips (Dallas Roberts) who convinces Johnny to sing something of his own, simply telling him that people don't want to hear bible music....and so begins the unforgettable career of the legend.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers his most memorable and certainly the most close to life of any biopic tale of Cash, combining his rusky voice with the charm and charisma of the real thing. His struggles with the beautiful June Carter (Reese Witherspoon) are chronicled in this excellent tale of a complex trial and error story, one which shot Cash to the highest stardom of his life but one which also made him face his darkest demons.

We watch as the celebrity stigma with Cash perhaps becomes too much, and he begins to delve in the narcotic way of life, eventually destroying his marriage and possible his career.

All the songs that made him as we know him today are present, and Phoenix couldn't be more on par with the man he is portraying, it is sometimes a pinch yourself moment just to make sure you are listening to the real thing,.

What truly leaks from this picture is Cash's attempt to constantly make his dad proud, something he never seems to get, and perhaps the reason behind his spiral out of control.

A truly powerful and exhilarating biopic that cannot be missed, showing the life of one of the most charismatic, egotistical yet brilliant musicians of all time, Johnny Cash.