Chicago blues is about to get the Hollywood treatment... big time. “Cadillac Records,” written and directed by Darnell Martin, opens on December 5.It features Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters... Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon... Eamonn Walker as Howlin’ Wolf... and Columbus Short (from “Stomp the Yard”) as Little Walter.
But judging from the trailer below, “Cadillac Records” will focus on Beyoncé Knowles as R&B legend Etta James and Adrien Brody as record executive Leonard Chess. And then there’s Mos Def as Chuck Berry.
(Stop! You had me at Jeffrey Wright.)
Now, is it common knowledge that Etta James claims to be the illegitimate daughter of pool hustler Minnesota Fats? Seriously... she does. (Compare the photos above.)
And since Beyoncé is shooting pool in this trailer, maybe the movie will deal with that. Because I never knew.
Looks good, if just for the music.
ReplyDeletei'll see just about anything that jeffrey wright appears in... he's got the magic.
ReplyDeleteI man, yeah, I'm gonna watch this. But, lets not fool ourselves, pretty much all biopic type flicks suck ass.
ReplyDeleteYo... UBM... You ever listen to "HOWLIN' WOLF'S NEW ALBUM"
ReplyDeleteIts the same psychrock backing band that Muddy Waters used on "Electric Mud"... Its a monstah!
I'm just waiting to see how Beyonce handles Etta's classic song. That's a gutsy move, even for Ms. Knowles. Does Etta James still perform? If so, I hope we're not going to see her "forced" to put on a happy face and do a live duet with Beyonce at some awards show.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey Wright looks likehe's bringing it and I am always intrigued by Mos Def's choices. But NO BEYONCE. No. No. NO!
ReplyDeleteI read Etta James auto bio, Rage to Live---No Beyonce is not the one. Ugh, this pisses me off beause she is so not an actress. And all those warblery runs on AT Last--Etta grunted and moaned, sometimes she lowed like a cow in labor(Feeling Uneasy, my fave).
There's a young Black actress out there and Beyonce stole her part.
Kellybelle, I'm with you: I don't see Beyonce doing this. At. All. I can't even imagine her singing At Last.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really want to see is Jeffery Wright in the next Bond flick. In this one, he just looked an irritable placeholder. I think, and hope, that his role will be much bigger next time around. I wonder if he'll be jumping off balconies with 007 next time around.
In true Hollywood fashion, there are somehow *two* forthcoming films about Chess Records.
ReplyDeleteFor those interested, here's a link to a recent L.A. Times column by Patrick Goldstein about them:
http://tinyurl.com/5zjtqa
-- RP
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteOkay I am seeing the photos and I see no resemblance at all between the two...none...
Beyonce was on Oprah recently and she said that she's only in the film at the very end....
There's talk of an Oscar for Beyonce's part.
ReplyDeleteThe day she wins one will be the day I move to Hollywood and try out on my own~