Excellent biopic - better than most!

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2006)

I can't say that I'm a fan of Johnny Cash or that I know much about him - but there's something for everyone in Mangold's film, and you certainly don't need to be a fan of the country music legend to appreciate it. This is a film that is based much on the performances of its stars, and while I don't know how Johnny Cash acted; Joaquin Phoenix gives a great performance in leading this film. The fact that he sings Cash's songs himself makes it all the more impressive, and for an actor who hasn't produced much of note over the past decade or so; the performance works on a number of levels. Of course, it was Resse Witherspoon who took home most of the acting plaudits with her role as June Carter; and on the whole I'd say she deserved her 'Best Actress' Oscar award. Phoenix wouldn't have been a bad winner either; but it was near impossible for anyone to beat Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Capote portrayal. The rest of the cast is good, and Robert Patrick is the actor who stood out most for me. His role as Cash's father is a world away from his usual sort of casting, and he does really well with it.
Pulling good performances from his cast isn't the only thing that writer-director James Mangold can be proud of himself for. Biopics tend to leave me cold, as they tend to want to follow the full life story of the subject, which ultimately ends in depression. Contrary to the norm, Mangold focuses on Cash's life while he popular, and although the film has its depressing moments; it ends on a real high. The climax to the movie is one of the most moving moments seen on screen over the last decade. The finale is genuinely heartfelt, and provides the perfect ending to a movie like this. The plotting is good, as it gives equal credence to both sides of Cash's persona; we've got the music side, and the human side. The film always feels very personal, and the director does a good job of offsetting Cash's personal life with his musical life; but at the end of the day, at its basis - Walk the Line is a film about the love between the country legend Johnny Cash and his sweetheart June Carter. Walk the Line is a movie that I can recommend to anybody - you don't need to be a fan of Cash or his music to enjoy this movie. And that's how a biopic should be.