| Based on the two books penned by the | | | | obviously craves for more. But both of them are |
| legendary man himself, "Cash: The | | | | not available for the taking; Johnny is married to |
| Authobiography" and "Man in Black", "Walk the | | | | Vivian and has daughters-- a reason enough for |
| Line" is a biopic of the famous country music | | | | them to keep whatever they have for each |
| singer, Johnny Cash. Just recently, a movie of its | | | | other deflected. But even though June becomes |
| kind was also released, depicting the life of jazz | | | | divorced, and Johnny is left by his wife, he still |
| sensation Ray Charles, played by Jamie Foxx for | | | | can't make his move on her, and June is not |
| which he won an Oscar.Unlike Jamie Foxx who | | | | immediately inclined to fostering a relationship with |
| resembles Ray Charles, Joaquin Phoenix who plays | | | | him.Johnny's dependence on amphetamines and |
| the lead role doesn't even remotely look like | | | | alcohol probably did not help him have June that |
| Johnny Cash. But what he lacked in facial | | | | time. His drug addiction finally results in health and |
| resemblance he compensated for his impeccable | | | | financial problems. All alone and flat broke, Johnny |
| imitation of the guitar-slinging, forlorn-looking, | | | | asks help from June. His conversion to born-again |
| artist's stage appeal.The movie is titled after one | | | | in 1970 and rehabilitation put an end to his |
| of Johnny Cash's songs, which speaks about the | | | | pill-taking and alcohol-drinking days. Johnny tries to |
| troubles of fighting temptations while married. The | | | | regain control of his life, slowly getting back on |
| title befits the movie about Cash who also | | | | the music scene and proposing to June Carter. |
| experienced the same difficulties himself.Cash's | | | | These significant moments in Cash's life is |
| influence on other genres of music is not | | | | continously shown up until his celebrated Falsom |
| something the world easily forgets. With a huge | | | | Prison performance in 1968.The film is rather |
| fan base around the globe, I would not be | | | | unsuccessful in providing an understanding on how |
| surprised that this film gets all the attention it | | | | Johnny's music developed. All the film lets us see |
| rightly deserves. Attention it certainly deserves, | | | | is the important events on Johnny's existence, |
| as it is clearly one of the biopic films ever | | | | thus, carelessly disregarding an essential aspect of |
| produced.The movie launches its story beginning | | | | the legend's life. I just feel it is crucial to show the |
| with a jailhouse scene where prisoners | | | | people how Johnny Cash became a country music |
| enthusiastically applauds for an awaited musical | | | | revolutionary, how his music provides the |
| performance. Joaquin Phoenix then appears | | | | foundation for other genres of music. It is also |
| onscreen, tracing his fingers along a mechanical | | | | necessitous that the film offered a further grasp |
| saw's teeth and the next sequences backtracks | | | | of the country's first couple's historical |
| to Cash's childhood in Arkansas. In 1940, an | | | | accomplishments, music-wise.The production could |
| episode happened that turned Cash's life around. | | | | have done better though. Although the costumes |
| His older brother, Jack, died from a sawmill | | | | are excellently done, the makeup leaves a lot to |
| accident and his heartless father (Robert Patrick) | | | | be desired. They succeeded in transforming a |
| who regarded him as nothing, put the blame on | | | | nobody Cash to country music legend Cash in |
| him. Cash then carried an unending anguish.The | | | | terms of costumes, but failed at morphing Cash |
| film then follows Johnny to his Army Service | | | | and Carter (and come to think of it, even the |
| where he devotes his time to writing and | | | | rest of the cast) into their age-advanced versions |
| composing songs that sings of the hard life. After | | | | (meaning, older-looking). If it isn't for the year |
| the service, he marries his first wife, Vivian | | | | indication at the bottom of the screen, I would |
| (Ginnifer Goodwin) and makes his living as a | | | | probably think that I am watching a film frozen at |
| door-to-door salesman. His meager pay cannot | | | | one era.But despite the film's inadequacy, James |
| afford him a fancy lifestyle and his impoverished | | | | Mangold nevertheless brings a plain biography into |
| state of living almost creates a family | | | | sheer movie brilliance. He tells the life story in a |
| estrangement. But it all soon changes when he | | | | way that would generate deep empathy for and |
| auditions to producer Sam Phillips whose Sun | | | | understanding of the man. He succeeds in showing |
| Studios caters to other artists like Elvis Presley | | | | us just what it is like to be Johnny Cash.The |
| (Tyler Hilton). Auditioning with band mates Marshall | | | | movie's success is to be attributed to its talented |
| Grant (Larry Bagby), the bassist and Luther | | | | cast who did all of their singing and acting. There's |
| Perkins (Dan John Miller), the guitarist, Phillips initially | | | | no wonder Reese Witherspoon won the Oscar's |
| finds their music sort of 'unbelievable' in a bad | | | | Best Actress Award for her role in this film. |
| way. Not until Cash strums the first chords and | | | | Reese Witherspoon gave a magnificent |
| sings the first lyrics of his own composed song | | | | performance as the sassy June Carter-- her |
| that Phillips finally signs them under his studio's | | | | accent and good singing voice also adds boost to |
| label. With that success, Johnny soon joins Carl | | | | her already fantastic acting. The same goes for |
| Perkins (Johnny Holiday), Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee | | | | actor Joaquin Phoenix who's imitation of Johnny |
| Lewis (Waylon Payne), and June Carter (Reese | | | | Cash's deep bass and mimicking of Cash's |
| Witherspoon) on tours and performs to their live | | | | signature stage moves is just plain entertaining as |
| audience in the South and in Canada.This is the | | | | well as satisfying. Their chemistry onscreen is |
| part where the film starts focusing on the love | | | | another factor for the film's success.It is not |
| story of Cash and Carter. They initially become | | | | often that you get to see a film that is almost so |
| friends-- which is the strong foundation of their | | | | faultlessly produced that seeing "Walk The Line" is |
| relationship-- although the smitten Johnny | | | | like having an entire new movie experience. |