Walk The Line DVD > Reviews > Johnny Cash - Walk the Line

Author's product rating:   

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

Advantages:	Heartwarming, compelling, fantastic soundtrack
Disadvantages:	If you hate country music then it's not for you !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I always loved listening to Johnny Cash when I was growing up. I loved his music from an early age when my Stepdad would have his cd's playing in his study and I would listen through the door!

So when I heard they were making a film about him I was thrilled. As much as I loved his music I hadn't taken the time to read about his life etc as I has with others singers I liked. I thought this would be a great insight into his life.

For those of you who don't know who he is, Johnny Cash was primarily categorized as a country singer but his music was much more powerful than that. It came straight from the heart and soul and he became a musical legend. He sang songs about his life, sometimes about gritty stuff - things that people would want to hear about

The film begins with Johnny Cash and his band at a prison. Cash is about to go on when something sparks his memory and you are transported back to his childhood. I think flashbacks can sometimes ruin films but this was very clear and left no confusion.

Johnny is clearly very close to his older brother and it is heartbreaking to watch as he witnesses his brother pass away due to injury and his father basically tell him that he wish Johnny had dies not his older brother Jack as Jack was the better son. This event then shapes him and we follow him through the early days of when he was a young man in the army, his first marriage, making that first record and getting success as he toured with the likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis.

It is during these tours that he crosses paths with and befriends fellow singer and entertainer June Carter. Still married at this point, Johnny starts to fall in love with June but she is also married and doesn't wish to ruin either of their families. However, his relationship with his wife, Vivien, which was never very strong to begin with, begins to go downhill rapidly. He is constantly travelling with his band and begins to take drugs and drinking excessively. Eventually Vivien cannot take any more and throws him out. Johnny's life seems to be going from bad to worse, but then June comes to his rescue.

A biopic film like this can sometimes really depend on the casting but thankfully the casting of Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter was exceptional. A big percentage of the audience watching this film would be familiar with Johnny Cash, even if not knowing a great deal about his life, and would most likely draw comparisons between the real man and Joaquin Phoenix. He is outstanding on screen and very believable as the man in black, rather than being just an impersonation that embodies the sprit of him. He has the attitude, the swagger, the brooding and he gives a knockout performance.

Reese Witherspoon won the best actress Oscar for her performance as June Carter and I can understand why. I've liked her in her movies before and she has made me laugh etc but this time there was something different. I don't know a great deal about June Carter so am unable to compare Reese Witherspoon to her as I can with Phoenix and Cash but she brings to the film charm and charisma and you can see why Cash is attracted to her (and not just because she is beautiful) and I felt a great fondness and tenderness towards her.

I love the fact that the pair do all their own musical performances and do not mime a single word. This is what made the film really excel. The songs and music will have you tapping your feet with enthusiasm and I think it would have been a let down if they had simply mimed (or had sang badly) but luckily they were astounding. I closed my eyes and I swear it could have been the really Johnny Cash singing.

There may have been things omitted from the film but as I didn't know a great deal about his life to begin with I wouldn't know what these were. Obviously, with all these types of films, they have had to cram someone's life into two hours of screenplay but I felt it ran smoothly and clearly and didn't leave me wondering why thing's happened etc.

All in all I thought this was a truly compelling film with convincing characters and a storyline that sometimes warms your heart and sometimes breaks it. There were a few moments throughout the film that brought a tear to my eye (ok, ok, I was blubbing!!!) but the music was spirited and vivacious and kept me entertained throughout.

The only thing I would say is that if you are not a lover of country music then you may not enjoy this film as that is primarily what Johnny Cash is about.

Running Time: 136 minutes

This film has been classified as 12 and think it would be ok for anyone above that age to watch although there is a small reference to drugs.

You can buy this in most dvd shops for about £12.99 but it is also available on Amazon from £5.99 and on Ebay for as little as £4.00.