Cadillac Records 1.0 stars

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The emergence of rock-and-roll, as seen from the catbird seat of Chess Records in Chicago: Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, Etta James, et al. The golden music, the vintage cars, the period hairdos retain their glamour; the backstage clichés are just old. Adrien Brody, as producer Leonard Chess, and Jeffrey Wright as Waters outdo one another in unintelligible murmurs and mutters; Beyoncé Knowles sings up a firestorm as James; and Mos Def is an all-around delight as Berry. With Columbus Short, Gabrielle Union, Eamonn Walker, and Cedric the Entertainer; written and directed by Darnell Martin. 2008.

— Duncan Shepherd

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Comments

Joan Kurland Dec. 22, 2008 @ 11:04 a.m.

Cadillac Records

From the moment the first, blues-y bass notes ring out at the beginning of "Cadillac Records," it is clear the audience is in for a treat. A bawdy re-telling of the story of Chess Records, the first white-owned label to bring "race music" to the masses, the movie shimmers with humor, lust, great performances, and amazing music. Anyone who has yet to acknowledge the depth of Beyonce's talent need only see her (playing blues singer Etta James) rip into "At Last" with equal parts vocal prowess, acting chops, and mesmerizing beauty to know that this woman is the real deal. And she doesn't even show up until the last third of the film! Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, and Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf, all relative unknowns to the average filmgoer, are equally astonishing. There will be a number of more heavily-promoted movies to see this holiday season, but I doubt there will be many with a more interesting story to tell.

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