Walk the Line [Blu-ray]
A solid and entertaining biopic, Walk the Line works less as a movie than an actors’ showcase for its stars. Joaquin Phoenix’s total immersion into the skin of singer Johnny Cash is startling–watching it, you can’t believe this is the same guy who whined about being “vexed” in Gladiator. As he evolves from a farm boy to gospel croonin’ plunker to the Man in Black, Phoenix disappears into Cash’s deep baritone, his way of slinging the guitar onto his back, and his hunched-up style of strumming. But it’s more than just picking up mannerisms: Phoenix also sings as Johnny Cash, and it’s quite impressive.
The story of how Johnny Cash became Johnny Cash traces from his childhood under a distant father (Robert Patrick) to his early attempts at a music career, during which he married his girlfriend Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). During a tour with the likes of Elvis (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Malloy Payne), he encounters singer June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), and his love for her–and her rejection of him through the years–spurs him into drugs, drinking, and depression. As with most movies based on real-life singers, as his popularity grows, the women come a-flockin’, and the childhood demons surface. Witherspoon, who matches Phoenix drawl for drawl, plays June both as a sassy spitfire whose charm breaks your heart, and as a sympathetic friend who tries to help Cash get over–well, her. The love story is what endures, but the movie comes most alive during its musical numbers, and even if you’re not a country fan, it may just get you to run out and buy a Johnny Cash album.–Ellen A. Kim
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars VHS review of Walk The Line
I wasn’t a Johney Cash fan prior to seeing the movie. I did however enjoy the his music and the revelations of his personality and his life within the context of his biography. Reese Witherspoon did an excellent job in playing,June Carter, his devoted and pricipled wife and lover. At times I felt that , at times,Joaquin Philips over dramatized Cash’s movements. All in all a very entertaining and informative story about an interesting and talented personality.
5 Stars Walk the Line
In 1955, a tough, skinny guitar-slinger who called himself J.R. Cash walked into the soon-to-be-famous Sun Studios in Memphis. It was a moment that would have an indelible effect on American culture. With his driving freight-train chords, steel-eyed intensity and a voice as deep and black as night, Cash sang blistering songs of heartache and survival that were gutsy, full of real life and unlike anything heard before. That day kicked off the electrifying early career of Johnny Cash. This movie is the worthy recap of a time in a man’s life that is simply too large for any single movie. The movie is entertaining, reasonably true to the facts of Johnny Cash life and full of music.
3 Stars OKAY.
Dvd was not in spectacular shape. Price was great, but had some scratches and freezes in some spots. Wasn’t very happy with this buy, expected it to be in better shape. But overall the price was wonderful and shipping was fast.
4 Stars Great film
This film pretty acutatly displays cash’s life . Both phenix and witherspoon play their parts well . The only complaint I have is that the film doesn’t cover cash’s entire life .
5 Stars Great Movie.
I already have this movie and have enjoyed it since it came out on DVD. This was a gift for a friend that kept borrowing mine. Enjoy. When I first saw this movie, I thought the music was dubbed in, but it was not. If you are a Cash fan you will enjoy it. If you just like a good story that happens to be true, you should probably enjoy it too. Since I grew up with Johnny Cash, I thought I know his story, but there was more.
Filed under: Blue Ray Movie Reviews