Product: Cadillac Records [Blu-ray] (2008)
Rating: 4.0
The Music IS more compelling than the story!
I finally got a chance to view Cadillac Records and I am very glad I did so.Before I go any further, after all is said and done, Beyonce can just saaaaaaaaaaaaang, okay? To say she WORKED, "At Last" and "All I Could Do Was Cry" is a MASTERPIECE of understatement. Her singing those two songs alone were worth the price of admission.Growing up, my biggest connection with Chess Records were the sermons of Rev. C.L.Franklin and choice cuts by his daughter, Aretha. Later, many stalwart gospel artists also constituted my biggest connection with Chess so seeing/hearing some of the history behind this very important label was indeed interesting. Of course, much of it was conjecture/supposition but related in a very comfortable way by the incomparable Cedric the Entertainer, who portrays Willie Dixon.Quite honestly, the story itself is rather sketchy...moreover, I don't know if this is necessarily a detraction. It becomes infinitely more important to follow the beginnings of such stalwart artists as Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Etta James, and Chuck Berry. Jeffrey Wright is commanding and excellent as usual as Muddy Waters, Mos Def is just wonderful as Chuck Berry, Eammon Walker (have been a fan of his since "Oz")was most effective as Howling Wolf and yet, strangely enough, I found myself cringing when Beyonce started cussin'as Etta James. She and Columbus Short, who portrayed Little Walter, pretty much wallowed in self-pity resulting in, what else, self-destructive behavior and both gave solid performances. And finally, Adrian Brody was just excellent as Leonard Chess.Notwithstanding, this is still a very worthy movie dealing with the evolution of rock and roll in America and its impact on the social fabric of the times. Highly recommend!!!