Review from Yahoo! Movies

In 1955, a tough, skinny guitar-slinger who called himself J.R. Cash walked into the soon-to-be-famous Sun Studios in Memphis. It was a moment that would have an indelible effect on American culture. With his driving freight-train chords, steel-eyed intensity and a voice as deep and black as night, Cash sang blistering songs of heartache and survival that were gutsy, full of real life and unlike anything heard before. That day kicked off the electrifying early career of Johnny Cash. As he pioneered a fiercely original sound that blazed a trail for rock, country, punk, folk and rap stars to come, Cash began a rough-and-tumble journey of personal transformation. In the most volatile period of his life, he evolved from a self-destructive pop star into the iconic “Man in Black” – facing down his demons, fighting for the love that would raise him up, and learning how to walk the razor-thin line between destruction and redemption.

My Interpretation of the story:

Storyline: The opening of the story was stirring and really blasted the movie off well with and the plot flows very well, maybe because it's the biography of the real Johnny. Johnny Cash(Joaquin Phoenix), a man who have been through tough times during the war, always had a passion in music, married a woman, had some kids but never really got a job after the war. Got his break when he past a recording company, and he clinched an audition. It almost failed but was awarded a second chance. From then on, you just see more and more sparks between June Cater(Reese Witherspoon) and Jonny Cash! The story was beautiful captured with sharp but smoothened twists.

Halfway through the movie, I got bored the movie which ran for about two hours i think, because the story is too long(cant blame it cause it's the life story of someone famous, if it's short, it kinda suggest his life is empty. LoL). What really pushed the movie very far was that both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon performed all the vocals on the film.(Of couse they went through training) But it's really unexpected, because their vocals are so, so beautifully expressed in the folk songs. The tracks they churned really get you into cloud nine. I really like Reese now! Good thing she won Oscars Best Actress, she deserve it for really having emotions played out like fliiping through a book.

Technically, this film is about Johnny Cash and music, and thus through the course of the film you either get to watch his concerts or you watch him struggle in life. I must comment that the struggles were really nicely captured to. The last scene where June finally kiss Johnny as a mark of acceptance was really wow. It was long after lots of intense enchanges of lyrics on stage that they finally got together. Watch it. Sadly both Johnny and June passed away, in 2000 i think. not too sure.

Bottom Line: Amazing, inspiring, and best sound effects. =)

Ratings: 8.5/10

From the film, Joaquin and Reese.

The real Jonny Cash And June Carter Cash

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self-reminder: Watched with Joseph

till then; 22:24