sick of these

Rating: 5/10 (22 January 2006)

In recent years, it's been the epics like Gladiator or The Lord of the Rings series and the biographies like Ray, Ali, and A Beautiful Mind who have been winning all the awards (except maybe Chicago). The last thing we need is a Ray clone winning all the Oscars this year. You can't change how both Charles' and Cash's brothers die when they were kids. But they didn't have to show how it haunts them the same way with a table saw or the water. In both movies they emphasized on both musicians having drug problems, angry wives, affairs on the road, controversial music, and their own ways of dealing with religion in music. Why do we need this twice in 2 years? In no way was this a story worth telling if they can cut out the years 1958-1964 when Cash was making his music and popping pills at the highest rate. If 6 years can be skipped in the middle of it all then what's the point? If you've seen Ray, stick with that. This movie was the same thing without the blindness, racism, or character development. June Carter's parents as well as June for the most part stand up for Johnny and stick with him throughout. We never see why. The first 2 times we see Cash and the Carter parents meet, he's either drunk or high. We never really see the good side of Cash that for some reason the Carter saints believe there is.
As for the acting, it most likely is tough for people such as Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon to sing in southern accents. Phoenix was too soft and quiet for the first hour basically for us to think that half the movie had good acting in it. I didn't see much for talent until the thanksgiving table 3/4 the way through. Witherspoon was lovable, sure, but also seemed to act as different characters throughout. At first she was assertive and proper. Then we see her fishing and giving into Cash, and then we see her ditching him, then stick by his side, then ditch him, then marry him. If that's historically true than I don't love June Carter and would rather not have her in the movie to begin with.
If you need a 2+ hour drag festival then see this movie. If not, see Ray again, you'd be better off.