Product: Cadillac Records [Blu-ray] (2008)
Rating: 4.0
Lightning in a bottle
If you're more than passing familiar with the birth and growth of Chess Records of Chicago and the careers of Leonard Chess, Muddy Waters, Etta James, etc., there's a lot that's frustrating about this movie. How did Chuck Berry end up singing "No Particular Place To Go" in the late 50s when he didn't write and record it until 1964? Where's Phil Chess, brother of Leonard, and Marshall Chess, son of Leonard, who had a LOT to do with the success of the label? The title at the beginning that says "This film is based upon true events" rings a lot more accurately than one might suppose, with the chronology all out of whack and a LOT of supposition about how things were back then by Darnell Martin, who wrote the screenplay as well as directed this movie.And yet, when you see how ably all of the actors embody their roles and how much Martin has gotten the grit and muscle of this piece of American musical history, these frustrations drop away and seem like mere nitpicking. More than anything it shows the crossroads where two different minority cultures---African-Americans and Jewish emigrants from Europe---find a bond and help it grow, through a combination of mutual self-interest and admiration. It doesn't hurt, too, that the music throughout is HOT, even after all these years. All of the actors are superb, with Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf and Columbus Short as the doomed Little Walter particularly grabbing your attention every time they're onscreen. Adrien Brody's portrayal of Leonard Chess shows a man who's sincere about his love for the music he records and the musicians making it, while at the same time not above bribes and a little backstage double-dealing to further his ends. And Jeffrey Wright's Muddy Waters and Beyonce's Etta James ring true to their sources and then some.In sum: a real treat for first-time viewers, and one of the best films of 2008.