mdtinney's Movie Review of Walk the Line

I walk the line to #37.
mdtinney - wrote on 05/26/09

James Mangold has proved himself as a diverse director, tackling crime and corruption within the police force (Copland), angst and suicidal tendencies amongst a group of female patients of a mental institution (Girl, Interrupted), and a horror whodunit mystery located at an isolated motel (Identity). Now, Mangold offers up the biopic genre which has recently been showcased as a guaranteed Academy highlight.If ever there were a case of two performers taking over a film and making it their own this is it. Walk the Line is elevated by two of the most brilliant performances you could ever hope to see from Joaquin Phoenix as the legendary Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, Cash's partner on stage and eventually offstage as well. The love Johnny Cash and June Carter had for one another was legendary and the performances by Phoenix and Witherspoon more than do their story justice. The story of Johnny and June is a great one and it's told pretty well in this film. The film takes a little while to really get going, showing Johnny's troubled childhood and his struggle to launch his music career. The film doesn't really take off until Johnny and June come together. There are still some lulls after that and some tough, painful moments as well as Cash's terrible addictions are honestly and at times rather brutally displayed. But throughout the brilliance of Phoenix and Witherspoon is constant. They are terrific in portraying the great love their two characters had for one another and also brilliantly express the frustrations they would have with one another as their relationship progressed in fits and starts. And where Phoenix and Witherspoon really shine is on stage as, yes, they do all the singing themselves. In this area Phoenix in particular is simply mesmerizing. In look and sound he is so believable on stage as Johnny Cash it is downright eerie. Close your eyes and you would be forgiven for thinking you were listening to Cash himself. Definitely a movie worth watching..