Cadillac Records

Darnell Martin’s Cadillac Records takes a look at the music industry from the 1940s to the 1960s, following Leonard Chess and his Chess Records in a fictionalized account of what things were like when the game was changing rapidly in Chicago. The movie is ensemble style, using a rather large and famous cast to put some truly remarkable legends of music on screen.

Martin, who was the first African-American woman to direct and produce a film for a major studio with 1994’s I Like It Like That, handles the subjects ably but sometimes things feel a little too crowded and hard to follow. That doesn’t take away from the fact that there are some really solid performances in this motion picture, however, and the music is just flat-out fantastic.

Adrien Brody stars as Leonard Chess, the co-founder of 1950s record label Chess Records. Located in Chicago, Chess Records would become the iconic record company of such stars as Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles), Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Howlin’ Wolf (Eamonn Walker), Little Walter (Columbus Short), and other top stars of the era.

Cadillac Records deals with the launching of the record company and the various relationships and entanglements in its operation, following the rise and fall of some truly great musicians along the way. It also does well to highlight the rise of black music at the time and the reluctance of some DJs and clubs to play it. There are also some interesting dynamics, such as the relationship between Chess and Waters, that help give the movie more substance.

At the end of the day, though, it’s hard to say that Cadillac Records is more than just another musical biopic. Knowles is the movie’s best performer and her Etta James is fantastic. She delivers a performance of grit and heartache, proving that she is a consummate performer with the will to deliver with the very best in the biz. Her covers of a few James songs are also great, nearly topping her work in the excellent Dreamgirls.

The problems with Cadillac Records largely arise with its full cast and in maintaining interest in all the various supporting characters. While Knowles does bump up the energy when she turns up as James, her role adds more unnecessary complexity to the already crowded plot and gives us one more thing to be concerned with. It becomes less about the music and the history of Chess Records and more about the relationships and near-relationships behind-the-scenes.

Some of the performances are less than good, too, starting with Brody as Leonard Chess. While I am normally impressed with his work on screen, Brody doesn’t do much here. His character is bland and boring, for the most part, He doesn’t do much with the role, which was originally designed as a Matt Dillon part before scheduling complications prevented the casting from taking place.

Even so, Cadillac Records is still worth a look and a listen for a relatively entertaining look at the time when music changed. Chess Records represents an important part in music history in America and Martin’s look at the subject, while incomplete, is convincing and enjoyable enough to check out. Plus, Knowles is just awesome.

Trailer: