Walk the Line

For me, a film that showed that biopics can be and are interesting, which has been pretty much confirmed in recent years, though of course not with every piece. Remember Behind the Candelabra? Joaquin Phoenix completely incomprehensibly didn't win the Oscar, despite his great performance, which included all the singing. By the way, another reason why the film is great is the songs of Johnny Cash. (23/12/2013)

Damn, this turned out really well! James Mangold is always a guarantee of quality, though biographical films are usually not my thing. However, Johnny Cash and his life journey ultimately drew me in! It’s one of the best genre contributions in terms of casting; Joaquin Phoenix overshadowed everyone else, immersing himself in the role of Cash 120 percent :) Plus, he gave the legendary songs of this musical genius a new, authentic touch; I had no idea Phoenix had such a musical talent. So I don’t understand how he didn’t win that Oscar—such a robbery. Witherspoon supported him admirably, and the chemistry between them worked (at least she got an Oscar). I liked how the film didn’t just focus on the bright moments of his career, but fully showed that fame also has its dark side (drugs, infidelity). Even though I'm not usually into musical films, this one, along with Bohemian Rhapsody, reinforced that films with this focus can be something special if done masterfully. 8.5/10 (01/09/2021)

Narratively, it’s very similar to Ray, with an equally straightforward and essentially very simple plot, relying mainly on the strong performances. However, unlike Taylor Hackford, James Mangold has a much greater sense for portraying intimate scenes, and above all, Walk the Line is much more sincere and honest as a whole, compared to the overly politically correct Ray. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon give their absolute best and their performances rank among the finest to be seen in the past year – Reese's Oscar is very well-deserved. Unfortunately, Johnny Cash's biopic has its downsides as well. These include a somewhat too simple script, a bit too many clichés and those typically polished and visually appealing scenes that, with a bit of attention, are transparent as glass. Solid and above all proper craftsmanship, and in the end, just slightly better than the purely average, somewhat tedious and slightly tiring Ray. (13/08/2006)

Walk the Line is a musical biopic in the mold of Ray, but it’s a bit more sincere and concise, without so much Hollywood artifice, which can only be a good thing. Plus the superb duo of Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. If only they would start making such movies about directors, which are closer to my heart than musicians, with the same degree of love… (18/01/2006)

I first met Johnny Cash on U2's “Zooropa” while listening to the last song he sang with his beautiful deep voice (which Joaquin Phoenix also possesses), and although his work is not my cup of tea, he certainly deserved "his" movie for the inspiration that many music personalities, not only country but also rock, credit him with. Thankfully, Walk the Line isn't a boringly descriptive story, despite spanning a several eras, the viewer doesn't really learn much about Cash's achievements and work (which may disappoint die-hard fans), but the story focuses intimately on the formation of his relationship with his future wife June Carter (a sweetly vital Reese Witherspoon) and his almost obsession with her, showing his addiction to pills and his lifelong struggle to cope with the death of his brother. Joaquin not only sings beautifully and I believed his every move with the guitar in his hand, and his tormented look with the inner demons in his eyes, which he was constantly fighting with, was Oscar-worthy. Likewise Witherspoon, with the body of a fragile little bum, but the character of a strong woman and Cash's redeeming angel. The only thing that separates this film from 5* is the absence of a really strong scene that would be indelibly etched in my memory, except perhaps for a punishingly brief moment depicting a concert in Folsom Prison that gave me goosebumps. (16/03/2006)