Movies

I feel like there really was an interesting film somewhere in here, somewhere buried deep inside here though. The performances here are solid, if not a little too over-the-top that venture on caricatures from the supporting roles. The lead performance, though, really is fantastic, and it's such a shame that the film drags him down so much. The editing here is pretty atrocious, although much of it could be attributed to the screenplay's problems and wanting to go through his whole life in little segments that really feel way too erratic. The set deigns are good as is the music segments, but James deserved a much better film, and the lead as well.

Last year, Chadwick Boseman portrayed baseball great Jackie Robinson in 42 in a very compelling performance. He does the same here playing legendary Soul great James Brown. The movie zig-zags to various times in his life whether focusing on his rough childhood, his early jail time, his being signed to King Records, and his eventual success. Many of Brown's biggest hits are filmed excitingly throughout. A nice treat was seeing Dan Aykroyd-one of the Blues Brothers who cast the real Brown in both their movies-play his promoter. Perhaps more could have been done exploring the contradictions in James Brown's off-stage life. Still, I mostly enjoyed Get On Up.

An eye opener for me. James Brown was one of the great innovators and leaders in American music and yet for many people he is a total unknown. Watching the movie one finds that his influence was immense on many of the musicians that followed him in all the many forms American music has evolved over the time, from rhythm and blues to rock and roll. It is fascinating look at the times from the post World War 2 period through the turmoil of the Civil Rights era. It is also a revelation about the music and the man. Amazing performance by Chadwick Boseman. The contrast between his portrayal of Jackie Robinson in 42 and this shows a great strength in acting ability. It is a truly Oscar worthy performance in and of itself. Hats off to Mick Jagger for producing this movie.