bawdy, irreverent

Rating: 7/10 (12 March 2008)

If you are in the mood for some bawdy, irreverent laughs, then watch Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, a spoof on Walk the Line, Ray and other literal rockstar slice-of-life clichés (pardon the pun; you'll get what I mean ;o)).
Shocking scenes arise as expected from co-writer Judd Apatow (40 year old virgin, Superbad, Knocked Up), and are tremendously funny especially in the beginning. As the movie progresses, however, some hilarity wanes, but impressive are the prosthetic make-up appendages everyone sports as the movie spans from the time Cox is 6 until he is 71 years old.
It's good that Oscar nominee John C. Reilly (Chicago, Talladega Nights) finally gets to headline a movie, after seemingly forever portraying the reliable sidekick or supporting character in his many, many movies.
From playing a mousy receptionist in the TV sitcom The Office and the mousy sister in Blades of Glory, Jenna Fischer turns in a surprisingly sexy and laugh-out-loud performance as Cox's back-up singer and second wife Darlene. Her comic timing is great and amply supports Reilly's antics because she plays her role so straightly. As an aside, she looks like Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar with all the makeup.
Nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for Cox's anthemic 'Walk Hard', the melodic hooks of the rest of the songs are memorable, but the lyrics, suggestive or otherwise, prove the real riot. Also welcome are the cameos from Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jack Black, The Temptations, Jewel, Lyle Lovett, comics Chris Parnell, Kristin Wiig, and bit parts for Jonah Hill, Frankie Muniz, Jason Schwartzman, Justin Long, Paul Rudd and others.