Walk The Line

I saw “Walk the Line” with my girlfriends this weekend and I loved it. I admit I’m drawn to movies about musicians more than most, but “Walk the Line” is right up there with “Ray”. It’s just a great movie period.

I knew some of Johnny Cash’s songs going in. The big ones, like “Ring of Fire”, “Walk the Line” and “Folsom Prison”. I didn’t however know anything about his personal life or the rise of his career. It was very moving. As love stories go, it’s got all the right stuff, but it’s really so much more than a love story. It’s moving and funny in all the right places and yet still gritty where it should be, too.

Besides being a really personal look at the life of a legend, it was a great slice of history too. I tend to forget, that Elvis and Johnny Cash, June Carter and Jerry Lee Lewis, were peers. They were all rising stars at the same time on the same Sun label. It was so cool to watch their interaction in the film and to realize that they all became incredible legends, each one in their own right.

The acting was well done too. Joaquin Phoenix is one of my favorite actors. I think he’s one of the best in Hollywood right now, but he really outdid himself as Johnny Cash. I think he and Reese are both looking at Oscars this year. It was nice to see Reese in a more dramatic role. She has a great deal of talent as well. It was amazing how well they both handled the musical aspects of the film. A lot of movies the actors just lip-synch, but Reese and Joaquin not only sang, but they sang WELL.

I think this one will definitely end up in my DVD collection. Be sure and check it out.

A.