Product: Cadillac Records [Blu-ray] (2008)
Rating: 2.0
Epic. If You Mean Epically Bad.
I hated Cadillac Records but I stayed with it for the soundtrack and the hope that it would get better. Len Chess isn't the only paternalistic thing about this film. A mishmash timeline of race cliches and lazy storytelling, Cadillac Records can't even be bothered to get it's facts straight. Saving it from one star are the performances of Columbus Short, Mos Def and Eamonn Walker, all of whom are far better than the material deserves. The film provides about as much context as a 1950's Looney Tunes featuring celebrities of the day. Even if one allows for the need to condense a large story into a short time frame, have some continuity of character inside the abbreviated version. Disjointed, relying on race role tropes instead of characterization, Cadillac Records is a lazy film that does a disservice to all whom it portrays.