Walk the Line

Finally, an autobiographical biopic after all these years that actually deserves those top-tier awards—the kind that much weaker movies with similar themes usually snag (looking at you, Ray!!!)...

Joaquin Phoenix delivers the solid performance you’d expect, but Reese Witherspoon is surprisingly convincing here...

It doesn't hit US theaters until early next year, but I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who still cares about quality filmmaking... 🙂

For those who aren't familiar, the movie follows the life, rise, fall, and eventual comeback of the legendary musician Johnny Cash, touching on his family struggles, addiction, and the messy reality of fame...

Alright, first things first—I have to admit that I’m generally not a huge fan of biopic movies. It’s not because of the people they’re actually about, but rather just the genre in general (I think I watched maybe 15 minutes of Mr. Ray before turning it off...). However, there was so much hype surrounding Walk the Line that I really expected something massive from it. By the time it finally hit our local theaters—not too late, but not exactly immediate either—I found myself walking away with some pretty mixed feelings...

That said, once I realized James Mangold was the director—the same guy who did Girl and Interrupted, which I absolutely love—I decided to stick it out until the end. I figured he might SURPRISE me, regardless of how the movie felt in the middle...

So, let's talk about the film itself...

It’s okay, but honestly, it’s also kinda Crappy ( I didn't see it coming that Jun would agree to that plea on stage, and the ending felt a bit flat. ). It feels a bit tedious, overstretched (even though it jumps through several different time periods/segments; sometimes I wished they had shown more, sometimes the transitions worked, and other times I wanted to see something in between them), and it's just too long. On the flip side, the acting is excellent (actually, EXCELLENT)—especially Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.

What really breathes "freshness" into the movie is the superb—truly superb—performance by Reese Witherspoon. Her opening scene is packed with such incredible energy, even if she settles back into her typical Reese-forma later on. Not that it’s a bad thing, since she’s a fantastic actress (and she always seems to pick great roles 👍 ). Plus, Reese has a beautiful voice (it might not follow all the strict vocal rules, but it's surprisingly wonderful 😍 ).

Joaquin Phoenix is also top-notch.

My rating: 08/10 🙂

Bottom line: You can probably skip this one in theaters (unless you happen to absolutely love this kind of stuff, then maybe don't 😁 ), and just wait for the DVD release. The movie didn't quite meet my specific expectations (it isn't quite Moulin Rouge... it's more of a decent biography without being overly bloated, but I wish James Mangold had poured more passion into the relationship between Johnny and Jun Carter; he hits the mark sometimes, but other times I was craving so much more...), but it didn't disappoint or let me down, either...

Don't even start with me about Ray. I absolutely love that movie and I love Ray! 🙂

Brian Williams said:The movie's alright, but also kinda Crappy ( Didn't expect Jun to agree to a proposal on stage, and the ending is pretty meh. ).

Cash proposed onstage to Jimmy Carter at a concert at The Central Park Gardens in New York, California on February 22, 1968
Real life is sometimes even more pathetic than the movies.

That said, I actually dug the film. I had some bootleg DVD and figured I'd watch maybe 15 minutes before hitting the sack, but ended up watching the whole thing. It's decent, though I wasn't expecting them to paint Jun like some saint and Johnny like a total selfish jerk.

Music, drama... Me like it! 😁

p.s. Good grief, why is everyone coming for Ray?! It's a good flick!

I love Johnny Cash, so I’m definitely watching this movie.
I caught a trailer the other day and honestly, I can't believe Phoenix sang everything himself. 😕

This movie is seriously legit. It’s a masterpiece.😁
Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are incredible. The runtime is perfect, too—actually, someone else mentioned this, but I could honestly watch it for another two hours straight, even though I'm not even a huge Johnny Cash fan. If you value my opinion—and honestly, if you value yourself, you should—just go see it.😁

It’s honestly pathetic watching people flock to a movie like this when they don't have the slightest clue—nor do they care—who Johnny Cash actually was. They only showed interest once the hype started a few weeks ago, and now they're judging the plot based on whether it fits their shallow idea of a typical romance. 🙂
The absolute worst part of catching a Friday night screening wasn't even the film itself. It was when the lights came up and I had to listen to a group of ten trendy influencers in designer boots and skinny jeans trashing the movie while simultaneously debating which upscale lounge to hit up next. But hey, what did I expect? That R&B soul in Americans died a long time ago. 🙄

Maria Nelson35 said:The absolute worst part about hitting the theater on a Friday night to see this movie happened right after it ended. Once the lights came up, I had to listen to about ten trendy girls in boots tucked into their jeans trashing the film while simultaneously deciding which nightclub they were heading to next.

Honey, you still have a lot to learn about Americans... 😉

redowl90 said:Honey, you still have a lot to learn about Americans... 😉

I'd rather not... 🙂

Look, I’m not really into country or R&B or whatever, so I didn't even know who Johnny Cash was until this movie started getting pushed (though I did recognize that "Ring of Fire" line). And honestly, they market this thing as this massive sweeping romance, but it hits you later on that it's primarily a BIOGRAPHY.

I mean, what else would you want from me? Should I have read every single book ever written about Johnny Cash before sitting down to watch the movie? (Though maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea 😁).

But anyway, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how much anyone knows about him. If you want to go see the movie, just go. It’s not like having a PhD in his life story is going to change how good the film actually is...

Maria Nelson35 said:once the lights came up, I overheard about ten trendy makeup artists in boots tucked into skinny jeans calling the movie trash while simultaneously deciding which nightclub they were hitting later.

Man, I bet those were the same people I saw when I watched the movie about the mountain. One girl was actually yelling at her friend because she'd promised there wouldn't be any kissing scenes, and then they both ended up laughing during the actual kissing scenes. She was the one complaining in the first place...

As for the movie about Cash.
I have to admit it’s solid, but it isn't anything groundbreaking or deep enough to truly capture who Cash was as a man. That said, the lead actors are fantastic—absolutely wonderful—and they can actually sing.
I knew every single song, except for those catchy ones by June Carter Cash.
It felt a bit off, though... why did the Elvis Presley portrayal look so ugly?

At the end of the day, it’s still just a movie, even if it is a damn good one... I mean, no film can ever truly capture everything about a real person without being taken too seriously as some kind of definitive biography.
What really strikes me, though, is how the actors actually sing in this thing instead of just lip-syncing. I think Dragas made a pretty sharp comparison over at The Morning when reviewing the soundtrack, drawing a line between this vibe and someone like Severina 😁
If you really want to dig deep into what it was actually like about Cash, you’re better off diving into the existing documentaries, his actual music, or those old bootlegs out there...

The movie's alright, acting's solid, but that Joaquin Phoenix guy...is just insanei>🙂

No matter how incredible the acting was or how much of a masterpiece the movie turned out to be, I’d bet my bottom dollar that those guys from Brokeback Mountain are going to sweep up every single Oscar in sight!

Love is a blazing flame! It creates a circle of fire! 🙂 🙏 🙏 🙏

Joaquin Phoenix (I suspect this is just the new label for a whole generation of street kids, much like how we used to talk about Jamezdin) CARE!!!!!111one 🙏 🙏 🙏

Brian Foster2 said:No matter how good the acting is or how much of a masterpiece the movie turns out to be, I'd bet my life those guys from Brokeback Mountain are gonna sweep all the Oscars.

...screw 'em!😬

Brian Foster2 said:No matter how great the acting is or how good the movie turns out, I’d bet anything those guys from Brokeback Mountain sweep all the Oscars.

Personally, I think Reese is a lock for Best Actress...
And Hoffman for Best Actor... 😉

Walk the Line is supposedly based on Cash's diaries, which might offer a veneer of authenticity, but it simultaneously undermines the entire premise of a biopic: the informative aspect. While a film like Ray actually functioned as its own standalone piece—despite those cheesy Hollywood undertones—Walk the Line feels more like some sort of cash for Beginners. It’s just a series of superficial lessons on how Johnny reinterpreted gospel music, discovered the black suit, and, most importantly, how true love knows no bounds. Because the melodrama leaves so little room for the actual themes of fall and redemption—which are trivialized through mere scenes of swallowing amphetamines—the script leans heavily on iconographic clichés. It shoves song lyrics into the dialogue and tosses in the black shirt at pivotal moments just enough to remind us who the movie is ostensibly about. Which, in the end, isn't even about Johnny Cash, but rather about Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. Both are excellent, though Joaquin fluctuates between an impersonation of Cash and Montgomery Clift; nonetheless, they both feel far too polished and sophisticated for this Hollywoodized, romanticized version of cotton pickin' White trash. The only part of this film that is truly informative is its depiction of the 1950s American music scene, back when there wasn't such a rigid line between R&B, R&B, and country.

Rihanna said:At the end of the day, it isn't even about Johnny Cash; it's about Joaquin and Reese. Both are stellar, though Joaquin oscillates between an impersonation of Cash and Montgomery Clift. Regardless, they are both far too polished and sophisticated—just a Hollywoodized, romanticized version of white trash.

I agree 👍
I watched it the other day and that’s exactly what bothered me—why on earth did they make a movie centered primarily on their relationship instead of just focusing on Cash?
It's a shame they left certain things out—like the fact that he had a pretty massive TV show? I believe that happened right around the time he and June got married.
Then, his connection with Dylan is barely touched upon; at one point he just mentions some letter from Dylan (or to Dylan), but there's no mention of their incredibly successful collaborations (their duet Girl from the North Country remains one of my favorite songs Ever)... etc., etc.
Someone put it perfectly: this is "Cash for Beginners." 😁 But personally, I thought the film was great and the acting was top-notch.

White said:I honestly think Reese is a lock for Best Actress...
And Hoffman for Best Actor... 😉

Personally, I’m crossing my fingers that those total losers don't walk away with a single Oscar! 😬