The Man in Black would be proud

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2005)

Just got back from seeing WTL (by myself), and I tell you if that movie doesn't get Oscars then the academy must be blind,deaf,and stupid. IT's better than Ray. It's better than anything else I've ever seen. In fact, I might see it again while its in theaters, something i've never done before. You can actually see when Joaquin Phoenix stops playing Johnny and becomes him, and it's within the first 20 minutes, when he's singing the "one song that sums up what he's done in life, one song to define him." IT happens ,so fluidly, but you actually see a physical change from J.P. to J.C, and for the rest of the movie, he is Johnny. Some scenes were so intense I had to cover my mouth, and yes, I did cry. More than once.
And Reese. Reese was June Carter beyond what any actress could ever dream to come close to being. Even her southern drawl didn't seem too over exaggerated. This is a movie that I couldn't leave my seat during or after. I saw all the credits! And I wasn't the only one. Most of the theater was elderly (not a kid in sight) and no one moved an inch or even breathed loudly the entire time. It's just that stunning, that amazing. At times it literally took my breath away. I left the theater feeling a deep hollowness in my chest because of the intensity lost that was once there. I will definitely buy it the day it comes out. I mean, I felt this movie. The cast became the people they were portraying, and it seemed like I was right there. that's what a movie should do, and WTL brought me into Cash's world. Even the death cards at the end were amazing and fitting. Even in death their love couldn't be stopped. This is billed as a love story, but its more. It's a story about music,life,love, and most importantly,PASSION. This movie works so well because Phoenix and Witherspoon understood that as much as the Cashes did. I think they would be proud that their story was told so well, and it's yet another testament to their genius that they handpicked the actors who portrayed them.