Walk The Line DVD > Reviews > Man in Black

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Unmemorable
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Great Music, Wonderful Acting and Singing
Disadvantages:	Not  as sensational as one would expect it to be?

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE FILM SEEN AT THE CINEMA. THE DVD IS DUE FOR RELEASE ON 22 MAY 2005.

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny Cash), Reese Witherspoon (June Carter), Robert Patrick, Ginnifer Goodwin, Tyler Hilton, Shelby Lynne, Waylon Payne, Dan Miller, Shooter Jennings, Dan Beene
Director: James Mangold
Release at cinema: Friday February 3 2006
"Walk the Line" sets out to tell the tale of the early years of Johnny Cash's troubled life. Scarred from a young age by both the accidental death of his brother via a sawmill accident (with whom Johnny appeared to share great solace) and by his abusive father, who blames him for the accident. Johnny gets married to his childhood sweetheart (whom he'd only ever spent a month with) and begins writing songs. As a travelling salesman (try hard to sell something, his wife tells him) he happens upon a recording studio, and records his first track with his band. He rises to fame, but this is counteracted by a weak and failing marriage and his struggle with drugs and alcohol. He meets June Carter on tour (along with Elvis and Jerry-Lee), who he used to listen to with his brother when children. June marries for the second time, which dismays Johnny who by this point is falling for her. His marriage to Vivian fails as does June's and June and her devoted family help Johnny with his battle against drugs. His own father continues to call him a failure. A now clean Johnny, is touched by fan letters from prisons and so the band rekindle the tour and record a live album at Folsom Prison. In 1968, Johnny proposes to June on stage, she accepts and they marry. At the end of the film, it appears as though Johnny's dad has finally accepted who he is.
This is a really good movie. The music gets your feet tapping and the story warms your heart. It isn't as sensationalist as the biopic 'Ray' but maybe this is because Johnny's life was a lot less sensationalist. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are excellent as Johnny Cash and June Carter, and the singing ability of these two main characters does not fail to impress.

Johnny's struggle with drugs (which started off innocently on tour) was very well depicted in the acting of Phoenix, and Reece's June almost upstages Phoenix with her sensibility, grace, devotion (to him) and her intelligence. Phoenix looks good as the man in black and handles his guitar in a convincing manner. One of the pivotal points of the film based around Johnny cutting his first record for Sam Phillips at the recording studio. Johnny belts out a gospel tune only to be challenged by Sam who states that he didn't mean a word he sung. He challenges Cash to sing a song which he would sing if it were the last song he could ever sing before he dies. Cash belts out one of his own tunes, impresses Sam, and they cut their first record. This is a pivotal point because it is then that the 'man in black' is truly born, his sound is born which June describes as "steady as a train, sharp as a razor". The film then trundles through the touring, the pill-popping, the struggle with father, wife and June (convincing her to marry him). It is well shot, well told, and tugs at the heart strings. You almost want to get up and shake him and say, stop taking the pills, let's have the old Johnny back! It is easy to watch, although some may say that it is a tad slow/too long. I'm not sure that this is big screen movie; I would have been happy to see it on DVD. The soundtrack will be excellent, and overall the film taught me a great deal about the music of Johnny (I only own a best-of) and particularly June Carter. If you're a music fan, go for it. If you enjoyed 'Ray', go for it.

DVD Extra's:
Audio commentary from director/co-writer James Mangold
Deleted scenes (21 mins)
International theatrical trailer