Steak, But No Sizzle

Rating: Null/10 (3 March 2006)

I've avoided the film Walk the Line for the longest time, because I was such a fan of the life and music of both Johnny Cash and June Carter. But finally, I broke down and recently viewed the biopic.
Let me say, kudos to Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, who were 100% point blank Johnny Cash and June Carter. Their Oscar nominations were well-deserved.
But, there is something about the film, especially in light of last year's Ray Charles biopic, that I cannot pinpoint as wrong, and yet is rather bland, given those of us who know the lives of these exceptional country performers.
The best analogy I can come up with is this: it's like going to an acquaintance's house, and they prepare you a steak dinner.
It's steak and it's dinner, but it's not as good as you thought it would be.
If I were a young person never knowing the back-story of Johnny and June's life and seen this film, I would say, "So what? What makes these two any more special than Tupak Shakur or the Notorious B.I.G.?" And I think therein lies the problem: we saw their troubles, but we weren't engaged.