Walk the Line (2005)

I liked Walk the Line. Reese Witherspoon's performance was one of the best things about the movie. She always good, even when the movie she's in is crap. In this case, she picked a good movie and made it better. She is an interesting actresses to watch, mostly because of the underlying intelligence she brings to every role. Joaquin Phoenix was no slouch either and had the lost, sexy appeal of the real Johnny Cash.

A choice bit of dialogue:
Johnny Cash (to Sam Phillips): Do you have a problem with the Air Force?
Sam Phillips: No.
Johnny Cash: Well, I do.
Cash sings "Folsom Prison Blues" and you get exactly how much he hated being in the Air Force.

The movie is full of light, small touches--and some bombastic ones too. A good amount of time is devoted to showing Phoenix and Witherspoon perform, but their chemistry is as palpable on stage as off, so it works. They did all their own voice work and it was the right way to go. There is nothing inventive or unique in the plot or structure of this bio-pic, but the leads are enchanting and watchable.

The best part of the movie is that it does a lot of showing and little telling. Not much time is wasted on exposition, you are plunged right into the action. The technique allows us to connect the dots, but the guiding hand of the director doesn't leave much room for drawing the wrong conclusions.

Cash was an imperfect man who never pretended to be anything else. His story is worth seeing for that reason alone.