Film Reviews

Walk the Line

• Rating:
• Director: James Mangold
• Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
• Details: US/ 136mins (12A).

Growing up on a cotton farm run by his unloving father (Patrick), young Johnny Cash (Phoenix) escapes reality by learning songs by heart from the wireless radio in his room. While in the army in Germany, the grown up Johnny passes the time writing and playing songs on a guitar he picks up in second hand store. Upon discharge, he marries childhood sweetheart Vivian (Goodwin) and sets about organising a gospel band with two friends. However, a failed audition with Sun Records' Sam Phillips inspires Johnny to return to self-penned country songs. Signed by Sun, Cash is soon on tour with Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, where he falls for sassy country singer June Carter (Witherspoon), and so begins a long and tempestuous relationship between the volatile and drug-addicted Cash and the reluctant Carter.
From the opening sequence outside Folsom prison, as we hear the drums thumping in unison with the stamping of the impatient convicts' feet as they wait for Cash to take the stage, Walk The Line hooks and grabs the viewer and never lets them go throughout. With the universally acclaimed Ray released last year, the pressure was on James Mangold, director of the criminally underrated Copland, to come up with the goods. He does, delivering a brave move in never shying away from Cash's volatile personality as he is put up on screen, warts 'n all, for the audience to make their own judgements. He is helped in no small terms by Joaquin Phoenix - his first leading role - who takes it all in his stride and proves he is an actor with magnificent screen presence, showcasing Cash's descent into drugs with taste while never reducing himself to cliche. The biggest surprise, however, is Witherspoon, who more than holds her own with a deft performance and can safely step out of the shadow of pre-adolescent chick-flicks. Even if you're not a Cash fan, or indeed a music fan, Walk the Line leaves you with an overwhelming feeling that you've just watched a very impressive film.

Review by Gavin Burke