Cadillac Records - health warning

[tony]

I watched 'Cadillac Records' last night.  It's the feature film that purports to tell the story of Chess Records.  It is based on reality in the sense that there was a man called Leonard Chess (although his brother Phil is never mentioned) and others called Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Wilie Dixon, Howling Wolf, Chuck Berry, etc.  It has Beyoncé as Etta James. 

Save yourself 110 minutes of your life.  Go listen to a record, play guitar or read a book.  This is really pushing the boundaries of what can be considered to be based on actual history.  You might guess from this that I didn't like it.  You'd be right.  It was awful.

Special mention for Beyoncé. I don't mind Beyoncé.  I think 'Crazy in love' was one of the best produced singles of its day.  But as Etta James she completely missed the point and, sometimes during her years at Chess, she must have got out of a cocktail dress at least once.

Of course, mileage will vary.  If you saw and liked this film, don't let me put doubt in your mind.  But it was awful.

[T.C. Elliott]

If you look at it as a fictional movie it was great. If you look at it as 'based in fact' well it wasn't. The names and places were mostly correct.... that's about it.

I enjoyed the film once I realized that it was nothing close to the truth. Would have rather had fake names though.

[Sprocket]

I quite enjoyed it...and wonder, what wasnt factual?

Or maybe I wasnt comparing it to facts and just enjoyed it as a movie about the blues, with characters I was interested in...some of which I wish were in it more(like Howlin Wolf).

From what Id gathered, there was another movie made about the other Chess brother, called "Who Do You Love"...but it doesnt appear to be released yet, or was held up, I donno, but Im anxiously awaiting its release to theaters or direct to DVD...as Id watch another one.

I saw Cadillac Records at the theater when it came out, my girlfriend even enjoyed it.

THE only thing I didnt like about the movie was Beyonce...she had me believing she was Etta....but the thing that blew it for me(about Beyonce) was the closing credits, she had to leave her "mark" on the movie soundtrack by including one of her lame ass songs like "All the Single Ladies" or whatever shit stain of a song it was.
And whats worse, is Ive got a co-worker who loves Beyonces version of "At Last"...and I hear it often while at work. *barf* I hate Beyonce! and I really loath the whole "oversinging genre".

[tony]

I quite enjoyed it...and wonder, what wasnt factual?

This film obviously upset me because I'm still arguing against it.
Why I'm annoyed:

There were two Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil. Poor old nice guy Phil doesn't crack a mention.

In the movie, Leonard burns down his club to get the insurance money to start a label/recording studio. 
In history, Chess didn't even have a studio for the first few years of their operation. From 1948 to 1956 they used Bill Putnam's Universal Recording.  They didn't have that studio in the movie when Chuck Berry recorded 'Maybelline', for example.

In the film, the timeline is wierd. Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Etta James all flow through like they were walking in a line.  Muddy first recorded for Chess in 1948.  Etta James didn't get there until 1960.  That's a long time in pop music.

In the film, Etta James is introduced to Leonard Chess in a hotel room and he is blown away when he hears her warm up in the bathroom.
In history, Etta James had already had a string of RnB hits on Modern out of LA, starting with 'The Wallflower' cut by Johnnie Otis in 1955. Chess would have known all her catalogue.

I'm not going on.  Someone tell me to shut up. It's just a film.  But on the other hand, having been listening to this shit since about 1962, I sort of had the feeling that the expansion of African-American music onto the international mainstream had something to do with respect and cross-cultural exchange.  It had a lot of do with money, of course, but there were spin-offs about respect in a world that seemed to be getting better for a while. 

A film like 'Cadillac Records' just says to me, forget the history, there was this white guy and this black guy and they bucked the trend because they didn't care about colour (just about money apparently) and they made money and then lost it, isn't the world a bitch.  Well, I know that is bullshit.  The record business was and is very mean but it is in this world and for a while it did help people see each other a bit clearer.  And the world did get better for a while and then it got worse again.  Forgetting (or misrepresenting) the times when it got better pisses me off.

I'm sorry I introduced the thread and I'm sorry for getting on my soapbox. Apologies all round.

[Sprocket]

I'm sorry I introduced the thread and I'm sorry for getting on my soapbox. Apologies all round.

Dont be sorry, Ive had nobody to talk to about this movie since I saw it last year.

I think there was no mention of the other brother because of the other movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1186795/