frankwiener
Joined Feb 2014
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frankwiener's rating
Writing as a longtime Johnny Cash fan and a devotee of classic country and western music, a pathetically lost and abandoned genre, I didn't like the movie, although I realize that I am once again tossed into the minority bin. Having seen the film, I much prefer to remember Johnny Cash for his music rather than this "formula", lackluster, and somewhat boring Hollywood biopic.
I found the film's storyline of poverty-determination-success-downfall (due to either drugs or alcohol or both)-redemption to be entirely too repetitious. Please consider, dear reader, that I go way back at least to Susan Hayward's portrayal of Lillian Roth in "I'll Cry Tomorrow" (1955). Do you realize how many repetitions of the same, basic theme of sudden celebrity fame that I have experienced in my old age? Too many even to count at this advanced stage. At least other "rags to riches" celebrity biopics managed to hold my interest while this one just became very slow and very depressing in spite of decent performances by the leads, especially Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash. I actually started to get car sick from all the dark bus trips. Imagine what it must be like to have to do that day after day after day for any price.
I didn't understand Johnny's relationship with his father who abused him and degraded him as a child but who somehow managed to benefit from his son's soaring fame and fortune. This made no sense to me, possibly because it was inadequately explained by the overall lackluster and dull script.
The prison concert rocked though, and I appreciated the music from start to finish. Why? Because, as I said, I am a longtime Johnny Cash fan and much prefer remembering Johnny for his music rather than this rather depressing and sad Hollywood depiction of his life, which must have been much more rewarding and fulfilling than what was portrayed here.
By the way, "Jackson" is not among my favorite Johnny Cash songs, so why feature it over and over and over again? Perhaps, once again, I am in the minority here as well. I hang my head.
I found the film's storyline of poverty-determination-success-downfall (due to either drugs or alcohol or both)-redemption to be entirely too repetitious. Please consider, dear reader, that I go way back at least to Susan Hayward's portrayal of Lillian Roth in "I'll Cry Tomorrow" (1955). Do you realize how many repetitions of the same, basic theme of sudden celebrity fame that I have experienced in my old age? Too many even to count at this advanced stage. At least other "rags to riches" celebrity biopics managed to hold my interest while this one just became very slow and very depressing in spite of decent performances by the leads, especially Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash. I actually started to get car sick from all the dark bus trips. Imagine what it must be like to have to do that day after day after day for any price.
I didn't understand Johnny's relationship with his father who abused him and degraded him as a child but who somehow managed to benefit from his son's soaring fame and fortune. This made no sense to me, possibly because it was inadequately explained by the overall lackluster and dull script.
The prison concert rocked though, and I appreciated the music from start to finish. Why? Because, as I said, I am a longtime Johnny Cash fan and much prefer remembering Johnny for his music rather than this rather depressing and sad Hollywood depiction of his life, which must have been much more rewarding and fulfilling than what was portrayed here.
By the way, "Jackson" is not among my favorite Johnny Cash songs, so why feature it over and over and over again? Perhaps, once again, I am in the minority here as well. I hang my head.
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