Walk The Line Movie Review
A real legend is...well, the stuff of legends. But much harder
to reproduce on film, because of the depths of human expression
that tend to get lost in the business of making it on time, on
budget, and on a subject the public will "buy". Which means
2005's "Walk The Line" is that rarest of movies, one that dug
deep into the story, put it up as it really unfolded, and
managed to bag actors that could carry it off.
"Walk The Line" is the hard fighting/drinking/loving story of
country icon, Johnny Cash and his love affair with wife June
Carter. It lays the foundation for the movie's focus, and Cash's
real life, by detailing his boyhood in Arkansas, the early death
of a brother, and impulsive first marriage that ended in
disaster. All of that contributes to the way Cash's life was
already drifting when he sang for Sam Phillips of Sun Records,
where he brushed shoulders with another newcomer, Elvis Presley.
Chastised for offering a hymn, Joaquin Phoenix rips off a
version of Folsom Prison Blues that snags him the prized
contract, and sets his foot on a path that will lead him to
depths he never dreamed of, and the woman who would pull him out
of then, June Carter.
Both Phoenix, and Reese Witherspoon who plays June Carter, did
their own vocals, which added immeasurably to the reality of
their performances. Witherspoon at times was perhaps a tad too
ebullient, but also managed to reach inside herself to pull out
both the feminine side of Carter, and her fury at Cash's moral
and physical deterioration as their relationship progressed from
an initial backstage meeting to the final, enduring chapter
written at the Folsom Prison concert.
Not strictly a love story, "Walk the Line" is nonetheless a
sometimes moving, infuriating, and emotionally charged tale of
two people both struggling towards the same goal- to be with
each other.
Director: James Mangold Producers: Alan C. Blomquist, James
Keach, Cathy Konrad Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese
Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Ginnifer Goodwina