| Cadillac Records | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Darnell Martin |
| Written by | Darnell Martin |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Anastas Michos |
| Edited by | Peter C. Frank |
| Music by | |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release dates |
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Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million |
| Box office | $8.9 million[1] |
Cadillac Records is a 2008 Americanbiographicaldrama film written and directed byDarnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influentialChicago-based record-company executiveLeonard Chess, and a few of the musicians who recorded forChess Records.
The film starsAdrien Brody asLeonard Chess,Jeffrey Wright asMuddy Waters,Columbus Short asLittle Walter,Cedric the Entertainer asWillie Dixon,Eamonn Walker asHowlin' Wolf,Mos Def asChuck Berry, andBeyoncé Knowles asEtta James. The film was released in North America on December 5, 2008, byTriStar Pictures. The soundtrack was released on Music World/Columbia and Sony Music.
In 1947 in Chicago, aJewish immigrant fromPoland and bar ownerLeonard Chess hires ablues combo, includingguitaristMuddy Waters andharmonica playerLittle Walter. Waters' and Walter's success leads to Chess opening the doors for black musicians and beginning a new record label in 1950 – Chess Records. This attracts stars likeEtta James,Howlin' Wolf andChuck Berry. Inevitably, business and personal lines blur as the sometimes-turbulent lives of the musicians play out.
Leonard Chess was the co-founder of the 1950s Americanrecord labelChess Records, located inChicago, Illinois. He ran the legendary company with his brother, Phil, through the 1950s and '60s.[2] The label started selling records from the back of Chess'Cadillac,[3] and launched the careers of legendary musical personalities such asblues singers andharmonica andguitar playersLittle Walter andMuddy Waters,Howlin' Wolf,soul legendEtta James[4] andguitarist singer-songwritersChuck Berry andWillie Dixon.[5]
Thescreenplay was written by directorDarnell Martin.[3] The filming ofCadillac Records started in February 2008.[6] Filming locations includedLouisiana,Mississippi, andNew Jersey.[7] Martin directed the film,[2][4] financed by Sony BMG Film.[5]Cadillac Records was produced by Andrew Lack and Sofia Sondervan,[8] and co-executive produced by Beyoncé.[2]
Originally,Matt Dillon was slated to play the role of Chess,[5] but the role was ultimately given toAdrien Brody due to scheduling conflicts with Dillon.[9] Early announcements of the cast also includedColumbus Short asLittle Walter,Golden Globe winnerJeffrey Wright asMuddy Waters,[2] and multi-Grammy Award winnerBeyoncé asEtta James. According to director Martin, the role of James was written with Beyoncé in mind.[10]
As production increased, the roster grew to include Canadian actressEmmanuelle Chriqui as Revetta Chess,Tammy Blanchard as Isabelle Allen, English actorEamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf, andcomedianCedric the Entertainer asWillie Dixon.[3][6][8] Final line ups of the cast also grew to includerapperYasiin Bey asChuck Berry, andGabrielle Union in the role of Geneva Wade, Muddy Waters' common law wife.[11]
The American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, andrecord producerSteve Jordan produced the soundtrack to the film. He also picked a group of blues musicians, including Billy Flynn (guitar),Larry Taylor (bass),Eddie Taylor Jr. (guitar),Barrelhouse Chuck (piano),Kim Wilson (harmonica),Danny Kortchmar (guitar),Hubert Sumlin (guitar), and Bill Sims (guitar) who, along with Jordan on drums, recorded all of the blues songs used in the film.[12]
Beyoncé recorded five songs for the soundtrack, including acover version ofEtta James' "At Last" which was released on December 2, 2008 as itslead single.[13] Mos Def, Jeffrey Wright, Columbus Short, and Eamonn Walker recorded songs for the soundtrack, andRaphael Saadiq, Beyoncé's sisterSolange,Mary Mary,Nas,Buddy Guy, andElvis Presley also appear on the album. The soundtrack was released in single and double-disc editions.[13]
The month after the film was released, Beyoncé performed "At Last" at the inauguration ball ofBarack Obama, as he and wifeMichelle danced together for the first time as President and First Lady.[14]
The soundtrack spent 48 weeks at number one of theTop Blues Albums.
The soundtrack was nominated for three 2010Grammy Awards in the following categories:Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Beyoncé's "Once in a Lifetime" forBest Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and Beyoncé's "At Last" forBest Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.
The film had itsworld premiere on November 24, 2008, at theEgyptian Theatre inLos Angeles.[15] On December 5, 2008, it entered general release in the United States. On its opening weekend, the film opened at Number 9, grossing $3.4 million in 686 cinemas with an $5,023 average.[16] When the film left cinemas in January 2009, it had yet to recoup its $12 million budget; it ended its run with a worldwide box office gross of $8,880,045.[1]
Rotten Tomatoes reports that 66% of 124 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "WhatCadillac Records may lack in originality, it more than makes up for in strong performances and soul-stirring music."[17] Another review aggregator,Metacritic, gave the film a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[18]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun Times gave the film three stars and stated in his review that "The film is a fascinating record of the evolution of a black musical style, and the tangled motives of the white men who had an instinct for it."[19] Elizabeth Weitzman of theDaily News awarded the film three stars and wrote in her review, "Writer-director Darnell Martin clearly respects the fact that the history of Chess Records is a worthy subject."[20] Most critics praised the film for its music, but complained about its script. Jim Harrington of theSan Jose Mercury News praised Beyoncé's vocal performance and wrote in his review that, "Beyoncé Knowles' captivating voice and the film's other pluses can't outweigh the glaring omissions from the story line for this critic" and "Chess Records deserves, and will hopefully someday get, a better spin than the one delivered byCadillac Records."[21]
David Edelstein ofNew York magazine named it the 4th best film of 2008,[22]Stephanie Zacharek ofSalon named it the 4th best film of 2008,[22] andA. O. Scott ofThe New York Times named it the 10th best film of 2008.[22] During the 2009 award season, Beyoncé received aSatellite Award nomination for her portrayal of Etta James.[23] Beyoncé, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarmon, Ian Dench, James Dring and Jody Street received aGolden Globe nomination, Best Original Song, for writing "Once in a Lifetime"; a song Beyoncé recorded for the film's soundtrack.[24][25]
The film also garnered sevenNAACP Image Award nominations, which included Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Jeffrey Wright), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Cedric the Entertainer,Columbus Short andYasiin Bey), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Beyoncé).[26]
The film was released onDVD andBlu-ray on March 10, 2009, and sold over 130,000 copies in its first week.[27] To date, it has made an estimate of $11,916,737 in sales,[27] which coupled with its box office gross helped the film pay back its $12 million budget (total gross: $20,796,782).
