Review of Walk the Line (2005) by Chads. — 28 Nov 2005
"Walk the Line" never strays far from the rise and fall form of your traditional biopic, but like Julie Taymor's underappreciated "Frida", it hardly matters if you cast the right actors.
Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are so spot-on as Johnny and June Carter Cash, they could've succeeded in a mock-concert film. Phoenix's live performances surpasses Gary Busey's work on "The Buddy Holly Story" and that's no faint praise.
Busey was great; very Holly-like, but Phoenix IS Cash, even though the two bare only the slightest resemblance. As for Witherspoon, she hasn't beem this incandescent since her debut in Robert Mulligan's "The Man in the Moon".
She nearly steals the movie away from Phoenix, which seems almost appropriate since June Carter Cash gave this film its title. To ignore the extraordinary chemistry between two actors who seem to be at the height of their craft because they exist in an admittedly ordinary screenplay would be to miss the point of this truly galvanizing movie.
Phoenix and Witherspoon transform showbiz cliches into emotional truth. If you loved Ray Charles, you loved "Ray". If you didn't love Johnny Cash, you'll, at worst, love Joaquin Phoenix's version of The Man in Black" better than the real Mccoy, and second-guess your original assessment of this popular music recording giant.
"Walk the Line" is a triumph of mimicry and sound.
This review of Walk the Line (2005) was written by Chads. on 28 Nov 2005.
Walk the Line has generally received very positive reviews.
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