Movie Review - 'Cadillac Records'

Cadillac Records Starring Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def, and Beyoncé Knowles Directed by Darnell Martin Rated R

Cadillac Records tells a great story. The problem is, there are at least four great stories trapped in it.Less a musical bio-pic than a ordered set of key scenes set to music, Cadillac Records covers the birth, growth, and eventual mainstream disappearance of Chicago blues on the legendary Chess Records label. But it's a significantly diluted version, one that can't keep its chronology straight, and if you're watching it for historical accuracy, you probably won't find much.For example: Chess Records was run by brothers Leonard and Phillip Chess, and in the movie, Leonard is played by Adrien Brody, and Phillip...well, he's not in it. At all. He might as well have not existed in the history of the label. True, because the history of Chess Records has so many facets, it might be hard to squeeze everything in there, but shouldn't he show up at a recording session in the movie? Once?The real connection explored is between Leonard and the great Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright). Waters was the first major success story the label had, although the imprint launched the careers of Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles), Buddy Guy (not pictured), John Lee Hooker (ditto), and a guy named Chuck Berry (Mos Def). There are ups and downs, drugs, money, booze, imbroglios and sex, because this is - after all - a movie about musicians.And because writer-director Darnell Martin has cheapened the history by changing it to fit her dramatic structure (an appearance by The Rolling Stones predates Elvis Presley stealing the blues? Really?) it's hard to ever get the sense that you're watching something but a greatest hits collection.But, oh man, what hits: Muddy Waters ripping through "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man," "At Last" by Etta James, Little Walter's "My Babe," the powerful "Smokestack Lightning" by Howlin' Wolf, and take your pick of Chuck Berry tunes. The news is far from all bad, however; it's just not a great bio-pic. If you want to get a thumbnail sketch of this era in American music, it's a good place to start. And with the exception of Columbus Short as harmonica legend Little Walter - a performance that gets taxing to watch as the character ages and becomes a bigger addict - most of the acting is better than you'd expect. Brody is solid, and even though this sort of film isn't really what we've seen him in previously, he doesn't feel out of place. Jeffrey Wright is always great, and he does what actors are supposed to do: He creates a character. It would be easy to play the persona of Muddy Waters, but Wright digs deeper.The real gem, however, is Beyoncé. Unquestionably giving her best, most effective performance as Etta James, Beyoncé saves the movie, giving it heat and heart in the final 30 minutes.But imagine what Mos Def could do with a standalone Chuck Berry story, or what Jeffrey Wright might be capable of giving a more complete portrait of Muddy Waters. And ask yourself why, after seeing 15 minutes of Beyoncé Knowles as a completely fractured jazz and blues singer, we wouldn't be better served watching Etta James from beginning to end. At last, indeed.