Beyonce Knowles shines as Etta James in Cadillac Records

Cast: Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def, Beyoncé Knowles
Director: Darnell Martin
Screenwriter: Darnell Martin
Rating: 15

Cadillac Records takes moviegoers on a musical road trip though 1950s America, charting the birth of Chicago’s Chess Records and the chequered lives of some of the label’s greatest stars including Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.

Narrated by legendary songwriter Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer), often called the ‘poet laureate of the blues’, it tells the tale of Leonard Chess (Brody), who forms Chicago-based Chess Records after his club burns down. Chess plucks blues guitarist Muddy Waters, played convincingly by Jeffrey Wright, out of obscurity to record a track and the pair are soon driving around in new Cadillacs.
Muddy is soon joined at the label by fresh-faced blues harp-player Little Walter who burns up the charts with a string of solo hits, earning himself a series of shiny new cars in the process. However, Walter ends up crashing most of the Cadillacs Chess bestows on him, which we soon realise are not ‘gifts’ but paid for from the musicians own earnings, as his life spirals out of control.

Next appears Howlin’ Wolf, played to slightly cringe-worthy over-the-top effect by Eamonn Walker, and rock and roller Chuck Berry (Def), who achieves the crossover appeal Chess has been looking for.

While this constant procession of musical legends keeps the viewer on their toes, there are actually far too many interesting characters included to do any of them the justice they deserve. The writer / director Darnell Martin, most famous for directing TV shows such as Law & Order, has obvious affection for her subject matter but perhaps focusing primarily on one or two artists would have worked more effectively.

Trying to pack so much into one film unavoidably leads to shortcuts. In one of the many cliché-riddled moments of the film, after the death of Walter’s mother, Muddy offers the tea-totaller a sip of liquor from his hipflask – cut to the next scene and Walter has turned into a raging alcoholic.

Without a doubt the highlight of the movie is Beyoncé Knowles’ turn as drug-addled diva Etta James. Beyoncé’s own musical talent shines from the screen and she plays Etta with the conviction and plausibility lacking in some of the other performances. If only this was the Etta James story, then this could have been a great film.

Special features: commentary with writer/director Darnell Martin, Playing Chess: The Making of Cadillac Records, Once Upon a Blues: Cadillac Records by design, deleted scenes, trailers

Cadillac Records is out on DVD and Blu-ray on 27th July via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

By Louise Meeson