Cadillac Records (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Manu G

  
  If you take the ride, you must pay the price. Good but not so great. Cadillac Records is narrated by songwriter Willie Dixon played by Cedric the Entertainer. The film needs a narrator to compensate for the lack of a strong story arc. Nonetheless, Cadillac Records is worth seeing for… More
  If you take the ride, you must pay the price. Good but not so great. Cadillac Records is narrated by songwriter Willie Dixon played by Cedric the Entertainer. The film needs a narrator to compensate for the lack of a strong story arc. Nonetheless, Cadillac Records is worth seeing for the music and the recreation of a bygone era. Just don't expect any drama that will knock your socks off! In this tale of sex, violence, race, and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, "Cadillac Records" follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.

• Chris W

  
  This is a thoroughly enjoyable, though heavy fictionalized film about the story of Leonard Chess and Chess Records- the legendary and influential man and label responsible for creating the "electric" blues scene in Chicago from the early 1940s-late 1960s. It's a story… More
  This is a thoroughly enjoyable, though heavy fictionalized film about the story of Leonard Chess and Chess Records- the legendary and influential man and label responsible for creating the "electric" blues scene in Chicago from the early 1940s-late 1960s. It's a story that definitely is worthy of being told cinematically. As it turns out, this film isn't the only one to tackle this subject, though I am unfamiliar with the other versions. All in all, this is a pretty decent film, and, as I opened this review with, it is quite entertaining. It's not a musicla per se, but musical performances do make up a good chunk of the running time. Besides providing the story for Leonard, his label, and some of the people who recorded for him (and what a lineup it was!), the film does also give insight into the racial tensions of the era and the legacy of the blues, R&B, and soul. Even though it addresses these things, I could have used a stronger analysis and more depth here, as well as a more accurate portrayal of the characters and the history, but that's just the nitpicking historian in me. There is a fair issues for me with this film, and that is, even though the film has a good story, the script isn't really all that original or great, and the direction, though okay, isn't really all that distinct or remarkable. Thankfully though, things are saved (and pretty much carried) by the great casting and the wonderful performances by said cast, and the excellent music and musical performances. Here's the lineup to prove my point: Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, Beyonce Knowles as Etta James, Columbus Short as Little Walter, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon, and Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf, and that's just for starters. As great as these people are, and as much as I loved their work (especially Brody, Wright, Knowles, and Def) I also really loved Norman Reedus in a supporting role as the engineer at the studio. It's not a big or really significant role, but he does a good job, and I think he's just in general a solid actor who deserves more work. All in all, this could have been a better work, but it's a decent enough overview and introduction to a great moment in music history, despite the flaws. If you happen to like anyone in the cast, dig the blues, or want to know more about any of this stuff, then give this one a watch.

• Daniel P

  
  According to my friends who know a lot about the Delta Blues, Chess Records and Chicago, this is a very accurate historical film. That it's narrated by Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer) and features Mos Def as a striking Chuck Berry helps, Beyonce got her hands - voice - on… More
  According to my friends who know a lot about the Delta Blues, Chess Records and Chicago, this is a very accurate historical film. That it's narrated by Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer) and features Mos Def as a striking Chuck Berry helps, Beyonce got her hands - voice - on some Etta James standards, and Eamonn Walker was no less than fantastic as Howlin' Wolf. And yet, I wasn't all that satisfied with this film. I can't really explain it. I think Adrien Brody was a little flat, and on the whole the film lands on the cheesy side. I think it was just too glossy to be believed - despite its being true. A good film, not as great as it might have been though.

• jay n

  
  Great music but a draggy diffuse screenplay weighs this down and makes it seem longer than it really is.

• Tim S

  
  Decent rock n roll movie.

• paul s

  
  as far as docu-dramas go, this is a darned good one - perhaps it's because the subject matter is close to my heart, and perhaps it's because you get to hear re-worked versions of all those great 50's songs. It was fun for me to rub elbows with Howlin' Wolf,… More
  as far as docu-dramas go, this is a darned good one - perhaps it's because the subject matter is close to my heart, and perhaps it's because you get to hear re-worked versions of all those great 50's songs. It was fun for me to rub elbows with Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Etta James, and the imagining of the discovery of the unknown territory (later coined Rock And Roll) was marvelous. Beyonce as Etta James was a marvel, encompassing everything from her brassy exterior and tinted hair to her underlying vulnerablility and soft cruves. The story ark was hardly compelling and there was a certain unflinching "let's move on to the next shot" feel to the film, but for all that, there were enough flashes of brilliance to make this a very worthwhile viewing. There were certainly hints of underhanded deals by the record company, but that ended up being glossed over, even when it could have given much more tension to the action - perhaps fear of defamation by Chess's estate? Too bad as the angle of racial useury could have been racheted up. Many interesting musical tid-bits to consider: When Chuck Berry heard "surfin' USA" on the radio and realized it was a note for note rip-off of Sweet Lil 16. Also the voice over by Willie Dixon explaining how his song Hoochie Koochie Man created a persona for Muddy Waters. All priceless pearls.

• Dean M

  
  I love this biopic story of the 1950s Chicago's Chess Records, the label that was home to black artists by the most influential music producer, Leonard Chess (Adrian Brody). Unlike other music biopics that concentrate on single artists, this ambitious, episodic film is a… More
  I love this biopic story of the 1950s Chicago's Chess Records, the label that was home to black artists by the most influential music producer, Leonard Chess (Adrian Brody). Unlike other music biopics that concentrate on single artists, this ambitious, episodic film is a compilation of the legendary Blues musicians attached to the label, complete with some novelty casting like Mof Def as Chuck Berry, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters and Beyonce Knowles as Etta James.

• EightThirty .

  
  Check this one out.. Pretty good.. it gets and O for Awsome ^_^

• Morgan S

  
  This was an interesting look at rockandroll and Blues at its best...I felt like I had watched this movie before though. It didnt really seem original! Adrien Brody was great AAAAS always! Beyonce wasnt bad either! But it seemed like the same movie as Dream Girls...Her voices is always… More
  This was an interesting look at rockandroll and Blues at its best...I felt like I had watched this movie before though. It didnt really seem original! Adrien Brody was great AAAAS always! Beyonce wasnt bad either! But it seemed like the same movie as Dream Girls...Her voices is always SPOT ON AND PERFECT! soo clear and she's very good at letting her emotions come though to song. Just not that Fresh, but not terrible.

• First L

  
  After "Ray" and "Walk the Line", and now "Cadillac Records", it's become apparent to me that the great musical innovators of our past really were great: that they could create such masterworks of music, and only donate a small percentage of their… More
  After "Ray" and "Walk the Line", and now "Cadillac Records", it's become apparent to me that the great musical innovators of our past really were great: that they could create such masterworks of music, and only donate a small percentage of their time to creating it, is quite an achievement. An even greater achievement in the face of their personal lives, which seem quite frankly, a mess. Where did they ever get the time to write such great songs, while at the same time constantly delivering powerful soliquies and having dramatic confrontations with their loved ones? How did they find the time to learn to play their respective instruments, while engaging in self-destructive behavior and breaking down emotionally over complex "daddy" issues? Perhaps these films lie. No, I don't believe that men who lived 50 and 60 years ago are "just like us". No, I don't believe Little Walter went around "bustin' caps on stupidass niggaz, yo". I don't believe these actors when they get in front of a camera and "emote" and "act". Can't we have our heroes portrayed as the real people they were? I know bio pics are dramatic, but can't we have the drama come from the events of life, not the people themselves? The single, solitary shining light in this movie is Mos Def's hilariously accurate portrayal of Chuck Berry. He somehow captured the essence of the man beautifully (I wish they had just made a movie about Chuck starring Mos Def, that would've been a much more worthwhile endeavor). The biggest offender is Beyonce, who ham-fists her way through both Etta James' music and her life. The musical performances by the actors of this film are a general disappointment throughout: only Howlin Wolf's portrayer seems to nail that rasp of his (Wright's Muddy Waters is especially atrocious and bland- if Muddy really sang like that he never would've been famous). I don't know much about the Chess family, but from all accounts this movie took great liberties with the story. I can excuse historical inaccuracies, I can't excuse hammy acting.

• moon r

  
  read the reviews previous to watching this but, as i hale from chitown (my secret sordid big city past!), felt it a requirement to attend this...this waste of time. don't you make the same mistake, not for any reason. if one must endure this then i might say that, okay, there… More
  read the reviews previous to watching this but, as i hale from chitown (my secret sordid big city past!), felt it a requirement to attend this...this waste of time. don't you make the same mistake, not for any reason. if one must endure this then i might say that, okay, there are indeed moments of redemption, but they only happen whenever you leave the room...

• William D

  
  [size=3]The most valuable thing about "Cadillac Records," the new film profiling the rise of Chess Records in Chicago, is the great supporting performance from [b]Beyonce Knowles[/b] as Etta James. Ms. Knowles is clearly headed for big things on the screen. She is infinitely… More
  [size=3]The most valuable thing about "Cadillac Records," the new film profiling the rise of Chess Records in Chicago, is the great supporting performance from [b]Beyonce Knowles[/b] as Etta James. Ms. Knowles is clearly headed for big things on the screen. She is infinitely more interesting here than she was in "Dreamgirls."[/size] [img]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/12/05/alg_cadillac_records.jpg[/img] [size=3]But the film as a whole is very mediocre. Writer/ director [b]Darnell Martin [/b]has worked a lot in television, and that medium clearly is where she belongs. I'll say one thing for Martin though: she knows a great subject when sees it. The story of Chess Records is a great idea for a movie. Too bad Ms. Martin learned almost nothing about it. The most she learned about Muddy Waters, for example, is that he came from Mississippi, had a cool hairdo, and was unfaithful to his wife. The most we learn about Etta James is that she was into drugs and alcohol and was angry at her parents. It's painful to see great subject matter get such superficial treatment. Maybe Ms. Martin should have asked Ms. Knowles to assist with the script.[/size] [img]http://www.canmag.com/images/front/movies20084/cadillac2.jpg[/img] [size=3]The core of the story focuses on Leonard Chess (played in a lackluster, flat way by [b]Adrien Brody[/b]), a young Jew from a lower-class background who opens a "Negro club" in the black area of Chicago. It is never explained why a white boy would do this. Like everything else in this film, the motivation of Chess is left vague. [/size] [size=3]When we meet him, he is explaining to his girlfriend that he can't marry her until he has enough money to take care of her. Later he is suddenly married, but it is not clear whether the wife is a new woman or that girlfriend from the earlier scene. This is one example of how "Cadillac Records" is not just shallow but also incoherent. Many times I felt like I was watching excerpts from a film, with a lot of the story development spliced out.[/size] [size=3]After opening his club, Chess meets Muddy Waters, who is played by [b]Jeffrey Wright[/b]. Wright gets a lot of praise from critics, but he leaves me cold all the time. Here once again, Wright shows himself to be more of an impersonator than an actor. He focuses on mastering Waters' mannerisms, not on unlocking anything about his character. It's the kind of performance that belongs in a TV movie. [/size] [size=3]We watch Waters stumble upon his unique sound by trying out various things, such as an amplifier. The sound really comes together when Waters meets Little Walter, played by [b]Columbus Short[/b], a relatively unknown actor. Short is ferociously kinetic, bouncing around the set like a madman. But there's an emptiness to the performance. It seems to be random energy. I never felt like I got a sense of who Little Walter was, only that he had a temper. I urge Short to start taking acting lessons from whoever has been coaching Ms. Knowles. [/size] [size=3]Later Chuck Berry and Howlin Wolf wander into the movie, providing even more impersonations. [b]Mos Def[/b] plays Berry and [b]Eamonn Walker[/b] plays Wolf. Walker gives the more interesting performance. Unfortunately the script doesn't give him much dialogue, but what Walker does with his face and body must be seen to be believed. "Demonic" was the word that came to mind for me during Walker's first scene. I wanted to learn so much more about Howlin Wolf. Hopefully someone will make a great dramatic film about him someday.[/size] [size=3][/size] [size=3]Every now and again, "Cadillac Records" brings up race politics but never in a way that gels. Was Chess a classic white exploiter? Was there a special way that Jews exploited blacks that was different from the way Christians did it? Or was Chess one of the few good whites in America, giving black artists their only chance at fame and riches? Or was it a mixture of both? The film skirts around these issues in a very hazy way.[/size] [size=3][/size] [size=3]The incoherence hits a crescendo when Chess is shown getting beaten up by black men outside his recording studio, with a bizarre voice-over suggesting that "times were changing." The audience is left in the dark. The film then cuts to everyone having a good time in the studio again. Bizarre tangents lie half-baked like that all over the place.[/size] [size=3][/size] [size=3]I wish someone had had the opportunity to work with Ms. Martin while she was writing the script to help her figure her thoughts out. She had a lot of ideas while she was writing, but she never got quite clear about what she wanted to say.[/size] [size=3][/size] [size=3]But anyone who cares about the blues, R&B, or early rock-n-roll will no doubt enjoy a lot about this film. Even a mediocre film about this subject matter is worth seeing. If it causes more people to want to know about Waters, James, Wolf, et al., then "Cadillac Records" will have provided a great service. I also hope it tempts more talented screenwriters to investigate this fascinating subject matter.[/size] [size=3][/size]

• Eric B

  
  I'm still stunned that this film suggested the Beach Boys and Rolling Stones rose to stardom before Elvis Presley. That's just completely unpardonable.

• Jeff T

  
  I'm a little flummoxed by some of the this-movie-is-amazing reviews... It's a good, solid biopic-y treatment of a great time in music, with some truly terrific performances. But a fairly mediocre script and some really not-great direction make it a completely average… More
  I'm a little flummoxed by some of the this-movie-is-amazing reviews... It's a good, solid biopic-y treatment of a great time in music, with some truly terrific performances. But a fairly mediocre script and some really not-great direction make it a completely average movie. Sorry, A.O. Scott.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]Based on a true story, "Cadillac Records" is an anecdotal movie starting in 1941 about the legendary Chess Records founded by Leonard Chess(Adrien Brody) as a way of finding the American dream, which he personally saw in the body of a Cadillac which he… More
  [font=Century Gothic]Based on a true story, "Cadillac Records" is an anecdotal movie starting in 1941 about the legendary Chess Records founded by Leonard Chess(Adrien Brody) as a way of finding the American dream, which he personally saw in the body of a Cadillac which he would give to all of the musicians he signed, the first being the great blues musician Muddy Waters(Jeffrey Wright). In time, he would also sign Little Walter(Columbus Short), Chuck Berry(Mos Def), Howlin' Wolf(Eamonn Walker) and Etta James(Beyonce Knowles).(A movie could be made about any one of these musicians.) Along with being great musicians, they were also larger than life personalities, and the movie does not sugarcoat their lives, especially Chess who never played by the rules and may have shortchanged his musicians. But they were never so wronged as by the white and English musicians they would influence and who would steal their music from them.[/font] [font=Century Gothic]In its attempt to fit all of this into one movie, "Cadillac Records" develops a peculiarly wonky sense of time(Elvis Presley came before the Beach Boys, right?) where nobody seems to get any older, despite it taking place over a couple of decades. The movie works best in fits and bursts, even with this talented cast. Mos Def was born to play Chuck Berry. Walker and Wright have a certain intense chemistry playing opposites. But the air goes out of the room whenever Knowles makes an appearance and I have a hard time deciding whether it is the writing or the performance. In the end, what matters is the music which is simply sensational. [/font]

• Jeffrey M

  
  On the plus side you have an excellent cast, with a script that excels in its' dialogue and authenticity. At the same time, there are a lot of clichés, and the story attempts to bite off more than it can chew, sometimes giving it a disjointed feel. Still, an entertaining and… More
  On the plus side you have an excellent cast, with a script that excels in its' dialogue and authenticity. At the same time, there are a lot of clichés, and the story attempts to bite off more than it can chew, sometimes giving it a disjointed feel. Still, an entertaining and informative piece.

• Sol C

  
  The performances and the music are 2 big reasons to check out this film. They did a great job casting this ensemble. I am still surprised that it never got any Oscar nominations for any of the performances in the film. Brody and Wright shine in the film. Beyonce also impresses in this… More
  The performances and the music are 2 big reasons to check out this film. They did a great job casting this ensemble. I am still surprised that it never got any Oscar nominations for any of the performances in the film. Brody and Wright shine in the film. Beyonce also impresses in this film. Cedric the Entertainer, Gabriel Union, Mos Def, and Emmanuelle Chriqui provide solid support. The only negative is that the pacing is off. The first 20 minutes is too slow, however, after that the film picks up.

• Fascade F

  
  The birth of Rock and Roll was said ti have created from the blues...Without Etta Fitzgerald, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Little Walter...just to name a few...there wouldn't have been Elvis, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin....are just to name a few...this is their… More
  The birth of Rock and Roll was said ti have created from the blues...Without Etta Fitzgerald, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Little Walter...just to name a few...there wouldn't have been Elvis, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin....are just to name a few...this is their story with Leonard Chess as the manager of Chess Records. What a good story...see it if you are interested.

• Lesley N

  
  Very watchable film with a great soundtrack about the beginnings of Chess records in Philadelphia in the 50's. Jeffrey Wright (brilliant in Basqiat) does a great Muddy Waters, Beyonce has a good go at Etta James and Mos Def, charming as ever, plays Mos Def pretending to be Chuck… More
  Very watchable film with a great soundtrack about the beginnings of Chess records in Philadelphia in the 50's. Jeffrey Wright (brilliant in Basqiat) does a great Muddy Waters, Beyonce has a good go at Etta James and Mos Def, charming as ever, plays Mos Def pretending to be Chuck Berry.

• Joey N

  
  Not without its (mostly musical), this film is just trying to tackle too much. Beyonce continues to improve as an actress though.

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