Wow! Such a good movie.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I won't slam this movie by being a "facts geek" because I thought it was a fun movie to watch, although I despise "imposter" versions of depicted artists' songs. But as a musician and a history buff I do know the things they got wrong or just simply BS'd. Instead, I opted to enjoy the storyline, which I did. I would have liked it so much better had it been at least a trifle more accurate, but we don't always get that unless we are watching a documentary. We dissect "Beatles" movies for accuracy (such as "Back Beat"), and this certainly deserves more serious attention to detail, but what the heck, I've watched it numerous times and still enjoy it for what it is; an entertaining movie about entertainers.

Probably no type of music is more American than the blues. Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Etta James are some of the most famous names in the genre. Less well known is the story behind their recordings. Darnell Martin's "Cadillac Records" is the story. The movie casts Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, who established a record company in Chicago to record some of these artists. Every step of the way it was a risky business: racism was still the law in much of the country, and the artists were often at each other's throats. But in the end, they made some of the greatest songs in history.As can be expected, the best part is the music. Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker) and Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles) contribute some masterful tunes, as do Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer) and Little Walter (Columbus Short). It's a great time every step of the way. Definitely worth seeing.

If you ever watch a movie that has a movie or video scene being part of that movie, you will always see a fairly accurate set decoration: lighting, rigging, boom operator, monitors, sound guy, costuming, props, etc- all the needed technical things that lend to the credibility of the scene. But 99 times out of a hundred if it has anything to do with music- be it in a club, concert hall, or the studio, those details get glossed over, ignored or forgotten by the director:(1) Electric Instruments, mixing consoles, and mic's have no cables,(2) sound timbre does not match the instrument- examples:Fender Rhodes sounds like an acoustic piano, real strings and horns from a synthesizer, vocalist voice is doubled- even thought there is only one of her,(3) instrumentation does not match the recorded music- big orchestral sound from a trio, harmony vocals by absent singers, single sax is now a horn section, chords being played on monophonic synthesizer, (4) ambiance is all wrong- reverb, echos, big crowd sounds in a small club, perfectly blended and mixed sound.(5) Hands and mouth don't sync up with the music- my personal favorite is the piano glissando that looks going up but we hear it going down, music that fades out. (6) artist who dress up in the studio- they never do that (7) full band recording in the same room with the vocalist- NEVER HAPPENS! (8) vocalist holding the mic in hand in the studio- NEVER HAPPENS!(9) All musicians wear leather and have long hair (10) A record exec walks in the scene and gives the act a record deal- NEVER HAPPENS. Common Hollywood get your act together already.

Cadillac records for the most part is a fun walk down memory lane and it gives you insight into some of your favourite artists of the 50's. Now if your looking truth it ain't here. Just to be clear on that. This is a Biopic after all and when did Hollywood ever let the truth get in the way of the facts.? The true story is Leonard and Phillip Chess founded Chess records and discovered many of the greatest artist who defined the blues and rock and roll. however in this movie we only have Leonard Chess played by Adrian Brody it's not his best performance he did better in Hollywoodland . the Movie opens up with the famed meeting between Alan Lomax and Muddy Waters in which Lomax looking for Robert Johnson could'nt find him but discovered Muddy Waters instead.Muddy records for the library of congress hears his voice on the tape recorder and discovers his voice. this discovery sends him down to Chicago and the Birth of the delta blues there. Leonard Chess owns a struggling night club until one day he hears Muddy playing and decides to open up a recording studio and release these exciting sounds on record. His night club burns down to the ground and suddenly Leonard has money to open his studio. He calls it Chess records and he discovers major blues talents like Little Walter Howlin Wolf Willie Dixon Chuck Berry.and Etta James. Muddy sees the money come in and it changes his life he becomes a drinking womanizer who doesn't care for consequences too much he even tries to get Leonard involved in some of his dealings but Leonard says no. he's married. Time goes by and suddenly it's the sixties and Chess records seems old style no longer in favour. And Leonard has problems dealing with his artists Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters are feuding both cannot stand each other. Little Walter has become a psychotic wild man with a disdain for authority and Leonard has fallen in love with Etta James who has a harsh drug problem. the Days of Leonard buying his artists Cadillacs for selling records of over a million dollars is gone (Hence the Title Cadillac Records) Chuck Berry is arrested and serving time and an Era goes by just like that. The Film is a bittersweet look at a era gone by when artists were bigger then life where the music actually lived and breathed and it affected the lives of all who heard it. The Best performance must go to Eammon Walker for his portrayal of Howlin Wolf. Walker gives Wolf a cool edge he knows something that we don't he's got style and charisma and most of all he's cool. there's a scene that shows you perfectly when Muddy welcomes Wolf to Chess and tells him about all the money he's going to make Wolf put's him in his place. "You see this truck Well I own it....But it don't own me" Beautiful calm cool and with a edge. Jefferey Wright hits the right notes as Muddy Waters in fact This should 've come on the heels of a Muddy waters Biopic because Wright is that good. Cedric the Entertainer is for once not annoying as he turns in a delightful performance as Willie Dixon. And Beyonce Ah...Beyonce sweet beyonce Shows us she can act with style and class in fact her songs on the soundtrack are a delight or a guilty pleasure,Her rendition of At Last is haunting. She pulls off the role of the first lady of the blues PERFECTLY! the only weakness is Mos Def playing Chuck Berry he plays the role like he should have called it in. But despite that the movie holds together and delivers a Rock and Roll Bio pic that stands up there with American Hot Wax and The Buddy Holly Story and La Bamba. Is there flaws oh yes and inaccuracies but the music and the wonderful performances make it all worth while.