This film covers the rise of Chess Records in the South side of Chicago. It opens with the wheeling and dealing Leonard Chess (Adrian Brody) establishing his business and finding his talent. The talent he finds is some of the best American musicians of the 20th Century: Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Chuck Berry and Etta James. The film follows the conventional path of the musical biography, everyone begins dirt poor and troubled. Then the initial spark of success lifts everyone. Next, the money and fame rushes in and its only a matter of time before people are hooked on prostitutes and heroin. Marriages falls apart, friendships disintegrate and there's plenty of arguing through clenched teeth and throwing of small items in the final act. We've seen this before.

Most biographies of artists show them to be hindered by some addiction or mental deficiency (or both in the case of Jim Morrison,) but the films always link their addiction and bad behavior to their rise in fame. Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Jim Morrison are all shown as relatively happy, but struggling guys before they strike it rich. Then when they hit the big time they all magically descend into addiction and self-destruction. Listen, Chuck Berry didn't descend to filming chicks pooping because he was famous - he did that because he was a sick man. Jim Morrison would probably have imploded despite of his fame. Johnny Cash probably would have been some slushy bumpkin if he hadn't made it. These folks are artists, which means they are cursed with the artist's temperament, which means they're all supreme jerks. Fame and riches didn't cause their sorrows, it just heightened and accelerated them. Artists are jerks, their jerkiness is what makes the creative process work. Its the way of the world and most of these movies try to pretend this isn't the case.

This film breaks away from the crowd since it doesn't candy coat reality. The script by writer/director Darnell Martin readily admits these folks were low lives. They were violent, arrogant, dysfunctional and in some cases downright dangerous before they became famous, let alone after becoming known. The choice to show them as the faulty people they were privately, outside of the context of fame, gives the film a more vibrant cast of characters. The actors aren't just mimicking famous people, but presenting developed characters. This is particularly the case with Jeffrey Wright (Muddy Waters), Mos-Def (Chuck Berry) and Columbus Short (Little Walter.) Each of these actors give the engaging performances that breathe life into the legends they are portraying. Wright's work as Muddy Waters is Oscar caliber. He carries the film and gives an insight into Water's life. Even the smaller roles have some punch. As an example, Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf takes over the screen during his brief scenes and creates a great duality between himself and Muddy Waters. The two big names, Beyonce Knowles (Emma James) and Adiran Brody (Leonard Chess) are passable in their roles. Beyonce isn't a great actress and in light of the very strong performances that carry the film before her arrival, she is out of her league. Her lack of depth is quite noticeable. She worked well in Dreamgirls because her castmates weren't brilliant either (although Jennifer Hudson can act.) Here, Beyonce is a reminder that often casting is done based on what brings the investor dollars in, not who is best for the role. Brody likewise doesn't light up the screen. He gives another "ain't I a dismissive, mess up, prick?" performance. He does the same work he's done in every film he's made with the exception of the one that made him famous, The Pianist. It is easy to overlook these deficiencies and enjoy the more valuable performance by the rest of the cast.

The film is well structured, and is a fascinating looks at the lives of some rather screwed up folk living in a volatile time. If you enjoy music biographies, or are looking for a reasonably good drama, this will be a good pick.




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Labels: Adrien Brody, Beyonce Knowles, film, Jeffrey Wright, movie review