ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

JOHNNY CASH was one of the great icons of popular American music. He had an unforgettable rumble of a voice that rose from the depths of his soul and spoke of pain, heartache and regret.

It would be hard for any single film to do justice to his life, but ‘Walk The Line’ comes pretty close. It’s greatest asset is an award-winning performance from Joaquin Phoenix that expertly captures the look and sound of the great man.

‘Walk The Line’ follows a conventional biopic template. It begins in 1968 with Cash preparing to perform a concert at Folsom Prison. It then turns to the summer of 1944 and the death of his elder brother. His stern father, Ray (Robert Patrick), declares that God took the wrong son, and Cash’s life becomes a desperate quest to prove his father wrong.

Moving through the 1950s, the film is like flicking through a scrapbook as Cash bustles his way into Sun Records, heads out on the road with promising youngsters likes Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, and tastes his first chart success.

The core of the film is his love affair with June Carter, played by Reese Witherspoon. When Cash battles with an addiction to drink and drugs, it is his love for June that pulls him through and gives him hope for the future.

Phoenix and Witherspoon do all their own singing. There is no miming to old recordings – just the two of them stepping up to the mike and singing their hearts out. That degree of commitment helps to make this an entertaining, heartfelt tribute to the man in black.

Nationwide release

Director: James Mangold
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts
Screenplay: Gil Dennis, James Mangold, based on Man In Black and Cash: The Autobiography by Johnny Cash
Certificate: 12A
Running time: 136 mins
Country: US
Year: 2005

© Allan Hunter, 2006