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Back Shelf Beauties
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Walk The Line Walk The Line is one of those movies I have been waiting for since I saw the trailer and realized it might be one of the most compelling movies of the year. It doesn't disappoint, and surprised me in ways I wasn't anticipating. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Cash - the legendary country music and rockabilly star. We follow his life from childhood with a father (Robert Patrick) who hated him to his early adult life in the Air Force to his career in music. Once that career starts to blossom, Cash falls for another singer on the tour, singer June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), but they are both married. Can Cash win over Carter's heart? What will happen to their spouses? Can Cash overcome the drug addictions that threaten to ruin everything he has built and all that he loves? Walk The Line is the kind of movie you will be hearing about from now until Oscar night because, rightfully so, Phoenix and Witherspoon are quickly emerging as frontrunners in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories. Phoenix is absolutely fantastic as Cash, not only mimicking the legendary and unique singing style of the Man in Black, but also by physically embodying him. Phoenix moves his mouth the way Cash did while speaking and singing, and finds a way to replicate his baritone voice which makes you wonder if he's lip-synching to a recording (but, he's no Ashlee Simpson, Phoenix sings everything himself). Singing the music himself is even more impressive when you realize many of Cash's songs are written in uncommon keys and time signatures, making it extremely difficult to master them the way Phoenix has here in Walk The Line. Once, I saw John Mellencamp (an accomplished singer in his own right) attempt to duet with Cash on Ring of Fire, only to get confused and need rescue from the man himself. If Mellencamp has problems, imagine how difficult it was for someone like Phoenix who has never sung on screen before. However, his acting performance transcends a mere cloning of Cash. Phoenix is mesmerizing as Cash descends deeper and deeper into addiction, and the actor wonderfully captures the desperation, anger and tender side of this complex man, especially the difficult relationship he had with his father. Walk The Line is more than just a showcase for Phoenix. Witherspoon shines as June Carter, while Ginnifer Goodwin triumphantly returns to the screen as Cash's first wife, Vivian. Witherspoon shows us Carter as anything but a wallflower pining away for a tragically flawed man. She shows Carter's spunkiness and feistiness, and makes room to show the struggles Carter faces in her career and life as a former child star who has grown up in the shadow of a more talented sister, and tries to forge a road to stardom for herself. More importantly, Witherspoon brings forth Carter's personal strength. Meanwhile, Goodwin puts in one of the best supporting performances of the year as Cash's first wife. She brilliantly captures and portrays the pain Vivian must have felt watching her husband destroy himself with drugs and pine away for another woman, often openly in front of her. Johnny and Vivian's daughter, Kathy, has expressed anger at her mother's portrayal in the movie, claiming it makes Vivian look like a, "mad little psycho". However, I thought director James Mangold and co-writer Gill Dennis correctly and courageously included Vivian's story with tact and tenderness. Sadly, while Cash and Carter seem to be destined for each other, others were hurt by their love, and Goodwin shows this to us in a way even the most dedicated fan of Cash and Carter would find sympathetic. While Johnny and June's dreams come true, Vivian's fall apart and Goodwin shows us the fallout, which could and should lead to her own Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Finally, let's not forget Patrick's performance as Cash's sadistic and alcoholic father. Patrick embraces his blistering attacks on a young Cash, especially one of the movie's most emotional scenes where tragedy has struck the family, and the young Johnny is berated. Later in the movie, Patrick oozes jealousy and disapproval as he confronts the grown up Johnny as the singer seeks approval for his success. It's the movie's best scene for showing the horrible relationship the two shared. Beyond the acting performances, Mangold finds ways to keep the movie visually interesting. In the many concert performance scenes, he gives the audience a look at the performers in close ups, but also in a captivating angle over the shoulder, so we see the performer, the concert audience and the band. Also, he has so many subtle, and wonderful moments of Cash and Carter lovingly looking at each other while the other isn't paying attention, or doesn't want to get caught, which conveys the burning passion without any words. Meanwhile Dennis finds his moments to put all of the emotion into words that ring out as realistic and meaningful. Walk The Line is one of the year's best movies, but I was hoping for something with a little more emotional impact. It's there, but I couldn't find that one scene that blew me away. 3 ¾ Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
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