the performances and music, and a fairly credible story, that's all you need...

Rating: 8/10 (29 November 2005)

Sometimes I take an actor like Joaquin Phoenix for granted, or maybe just not take too much into consideration his talents and strengths. Maybe in films like Gladiator or Signs, he had good roles but amid all the spectacle and big themes and action/suspense, some of his work was lost in it. Or sometimes he just doesn't find the potential in a character. Here though he finds himself in one of his best, if not his most ambitious, role yet as Johnny Cash, a man who rose up from nothing to become one of the legends of 20th century country. His drama and tragedies and successes are nothing new to this sort of sub-genre of the musician's bio-pic (in fact last year's Ray, which can likely draw up many comparisons with subject matter, was in some ways pretty similar). But its the convincing in the performances by Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon that help elevate what could've been more likely standard material.
At times there are some fantastical moments (not that it's unbelievable, but like some of the stuff with Elvis early in Cash's career for example), and yet it's not to totally 'wow' the audience. This really comes in the form of the love story between Johnny Cash and June Carter (Witherspoon) who have an on-and-off kind of relationship that borders on being a couple, to being bitter at each other, to being tender on one end and near helpless on another, and then leading to a really moving finale. It's their connection on screen, and the surprisingly fresh dialog, that helps make situations that in Ray weren't as fleshed out make this world not too far from some truth. There are also little supporting performances that help, most notably Robert Patrick as the tough, practically unforgiving for a certain tragedy father of Johnny Cash.
So there's the acting, and the story that sticks well with the themes of addiction (this time to pills and alcohol) and to being burned by insecurities and the demons of the past (and present). But there is also the music. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Cash's music, at least I wasn't really before I saw the film (I like some songs, notably from the period covered in the film). If anything co-writer/director James Mangold uses the songs and live performances, and cool gifts of the musical Phoenix and Witherspoon, to his advantage. The songs are sometimes more of a pure rock and roll sound rather than country, and the film does shine some light on how Cash did have a unique sound to him. And the circumstances shown around him playing at Folsom prison is one of my very favorite parts of the film. I'm not saying this is one of the all-time great musician bio-pics. However, if you're looking for something toe-tapping, and something too as a solid, emotionally rewarding 'date' movie, this is the one of the month.