![]() |
Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix excel in this star-crossed lovers musical biopic |
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny Cash), Reese Witherspoon (June
Carter), Ginnifer Goodwin (Vivian Liberto), Robert Patrick (Ray Cash), Dallas
Roberts (Sam Phillips), Shelby Lynne (Carrie Cash), Waylon Payne (Jerry Lee
Lewis)
Walk the Line focuses
on Johnny Cash’s early career, from 1955-1968, culminating in his live
performance at Folsom Prison and the tour it kickstarts. The main element in
this story is the long-running courtship/friendship/disagreements between Cash (Joaquin
Phoenix) and June Carter (Reese Witherspoon) and their more-than-a-decade-long
journey to turn an immediate attraction into a relationship. It’s a very
endearing, well directed biopic with a lot of heart at its centre as well as capturing
a great deal of the feeling behind the music.
The thing about biopics like this is that they have a
standard format, particularly it for music stars: the difficult childhood, the
early struggle for success, the glory years, the troubled years (addiction
usually rears its head here) before a triumphant rebirth. Walk the Line doesn’t really stray away from this format at all.
You also have to acknowledge it was made with the close co-operation of John
and June’s son (a co-producer) so there possibility that maybe some of this has
been improved for fiction (although there seems no doubt about the strength of the
relationship at its centre), even if it doesn’t shy away from Cash’s womanising
or addiction to prescription pills during this period.
Well I’m not sure if it is good history, but its damn good
story telling. This is a hugely sweet romance, which carefully builds the ups
and downs of its central relationship without coating the whole thing with
treacle. I certainly found myself very moved by it and deeply invested in
seeing the two lead characters finally embrace their feelings for each other.
The film does a very good job of establishing the immediate attraction between
both Johnny and June, while also carefully demonstrating why it took them so
many years to finally be together. It does this without feeling contrived or
manipulative, which is quite an accomplishment.
What’s also quite satisfying is that, throughout, Cash plays
the “weaker” role – he is the needy one, the one who spirals into depression
and moping after rejection, the one who thrives on attention and affection. These
traits in his personality are a running theme in the film. It’s a piece of cod
psychology to connect these to the death as a child of his older brother, but
it makes sense: Cash in this film spends his life trying to find an emotional
replacement for this loss, from his over-hasty first marriage to his
alternatingly shy and overeager pursuit of June. I also felt that June’s mixed
feelings over Johnny – guilt over the attraction, rejection of his sometimes
childish behaviour, worry about the public perception of her failed marriages
or being accused of being a home-wrecker – also make perfect sense as presented
in the film.
If you want to criticise the depiction of the relationship,
you could say that it fits neatly into the trope of the female character being
hugely supportive and caring over the troubled male genius. However, I think it
avoids this – it makes clear that June did consider some of Johnny’s behaviour
(both flirting on stage and his drug-taking in particular) unacceptable. At the
same time, it also makes clear her affection for him from the start – and in
that situation who wouldn’t help someone they care for when he is at his lowest
point?
Focusing as it does on the romantic relationship, this film
is pretty close to a two-hander. Every scene features either Johnny or June and
the majority include them both. Phoenix and Witherspoon are both sensational in
the roles. Phoenix’s physical and vocal mannerisms are spot on, but he also
seems to have a deep understanding of the feelings of guilt, loneliness and
anger that bubble under the surface of Cash, as well as his childish enthusiasm
and sweetness. Witherspoon is similarly radiant as June, showing the contrasts
between her girl-next-door stage persona and the more complex person below the
skin, intelligent and resourceful but anxious about the implications of
starting a relationship. Both performances are something quite special.
Alongside all of this, the film is highly accomplished technically,
particularly in recreating a series of live performances of Johnny Cash hits.
Phoenix and Witherspoon, who do all their own singing, do wonderful vocal and
physical imitations, capturing the vibrancy and energy of live performance.
Somehow there is something extremely real about seeing Phoenix’s sweating face
in close-up, animatedly covering Cry Cry Cry,
which manages to get across the excitement of live performance in a way lip-synching
couldn’t. The recreation of the era is brilliantly well done – the Folsom
Prison sequence is a particular stand out.
Of course this film is slightly formulaic, and yes it tells
a pretty safe story of love conquering all – but damn it when it’s put together
with as much heart and skill as James Mangold manages here, who gives a damn.
This is very moving, stirring material and I defy you to watch the final 15
minutes without a big grin on your face.
No comments:
Post a comment