"The first time a girl threw her underwear on stage was because of Blues," said Cedric, the entertainer, who blew up Best Willie Dixon's Southerners at the beginning of the Cadillac record. Not just at the beginning of the film, these words serve as a theme for its execution: reliving the sacred history of the Blues while reveling in its drugs, sex and violence.
The story finds it all in the chess record, and this Chicago-based label has characters like Muddy Waters, Walter Jacobs Jr., Chuck Berry, Howling Wolff, and Eta James. The title of the film comes from a successful example of the label, as Waters (Geoffrey White) quipped, "Welcome to Cadillac's records; Stay here long enough and everyone gets one. ”
Adrien Brody plays Leonard Chess, who has pushed "colored" music into mainstream success through his focus on musicians and innovative business acumen. Brody and the actors revisit Bruce's pioneers, and their roles are full of fun. Whether it's Wright's violent "overactive sex drive" or Columbus' brief "little walter", whether it's a fierce attack on his own "evil" behavior, each player associates his own evil behavior with their musical abilities, while chess forces himself to play the role of mother in their self-destructive "wake up." The charm of Emmon Walker is particularly fascinating, as he is the throat of nature and dominates among his labor partners, while Chuck Berry of Mos def is as fascinating as the real-life legends he depicts.
You only feel regret when you realize that writer/director Darnell Martin has the potential to surpass the original thriller. Etta James, who plays Beyonce Knowles in Fragile Wrist, goes more deeply into her description of a prostitute's daughter, and the elusive nod of the blues' historical ascension as a national standard is rare. While cadillac records' performances are guilty, the film ignores a persistent reflection on one of perhaps the most important art forms.