Man in Black

Johnny Cash was one of the great singer/songwriters of the 20th century. I have several of his albums in my collection but on threat of torture I could not have told you much about him. The new film Walk The Line, therefore, is a pleasant biopic for the casual listener. It gives insight into his early inspirations and the sources of some of his most famous and best songs. I can not attest to which aspects of the story were streamlined or fictionalized for dramatic effect but one definately walks away from the film with a feel for who Johnny Cash was and why he was the Man in Black.

Joaquin Phoenix does an amazing job portraying Cash. From pining over June Carter (Reese Witherspoon) to being caught up in a drug enduced haze, Phoenix brings to life an amazing character. The film follows a fairly conventional path for a biopic but one that is nonetheless interesting. It was the small quiet moments that I enjoyed the most, such as Cash or Carter working out songs in their heads. To what extent a non Cash fan would enjoy the film is unknown by me. I found my foot tapping along right from the opening scene and anytime Phoenix was on stage singing.

Robert Patrick as Ray Cash, Johnny Cash's father also impressed me in the film. In the end I am glad I saw the film but there is little of the film that stuck with me even less than 24 hours latter. There was no particular scene are dialogue that impressed me fully except for the music which is all Johnny Cash. In some respect, I was even disappointed I didn't get to learn about some of my favorite songs or hear them, such as Man in Black or the Ballad Of Ira Hayes. In the end I wanted to go listen to my Cash albums more than anything. Something I encourage any reader to do as well, and if you are short on time instead of seeing the film.