Get on Up

Chadwick Boseman is James Brown as he recreates his evolution as a performer in exhaustive dimension and magnitude. The raw and charismatic excitement of Brown's presence are all here. This shows dedication and natural ability as Boseman reminds us of a heritage that music cannot deny and a story that needs to be told again and again as Brown's influence continues to mesmerize us when we hear him. The entire cast were soulful and talented. Viola Davis was very moving as Brown's mother who had abandoned him as a young child and we sense the deep sorrow and loss that Brown must have endured and helps us understand his determination and inner fire as he himself catches hold of his spiritual connection to source and allows his musical genius to take hold of him and us. The words and messages in the songs that Brown wrote may at times seem simplistic but true as he sings them with such knowing, a man who has experienced life in all its dimensions.

I feel like there really was an interesting film somewhere in here, somewhere buried deep inside here though. The performances here are solid, if not a little too over-the-top that venture on caricatures from the supporting roles. The lead performance, though, really is fantastic, and it's such a shame that the film drags him down so much. The editing here is pretty atrocious, although much of it could be attributed to the screenplay's problems and wanting to go through his whole life in little segments that really feel way too erratic. The set deigns are good as is the music segments, but James deserved a much better film, and the lead as well.

While it is in no way a perfect film, GET ON UP succeeds largely due to Chadwick Boseman's transcendent performance as the "hardest working man in show business," James Brown. Among the positive elements (Chadwick Boseman aside), I liked the non-linear approach to the story which differentiated it from a lot of the other biopics that I've seen. I thought it was fairly creative to have the story jump around in a way that suggests a stream-of-consciousness approach to recounting one's life. Each significant event triggers other memories, and despite how disorienting it is at first, by the end I was totally used to it.

There were also some other interesting choices made, like having the young actor portraying James Brown as a child replace Chadwick Boseman in a pivotal moment late in the film for a couple of shots. And of course, Chadwick Boseman completely immersed himself in the role, to the point that I often forgot I was watching an actor instead of James Brown himself. Of course, they used James Brown's real voice instead of having Boseman sing, but the way in which he transformed himself and the physicality he brought to the role was just amazing. Another interesting choice was having Boseman break the fourth wall occasionally to narrate parts of his own story and give his perspective on different events.

That being said, not everything was as good as it could have been. Despite Boseman's awesome performance, at times the film felt like more of a greatest hits compilation than a straightforward story, the non-linear aspect aside. It also glossed over some important aspects of the character of James Brown. There was only one scene in which any domestic violence was hinted at, when there was undoubtedly a lot more. I'm not saying that there should have been a lot, but it would have been more honest to address this. I also feel like the relationship with his absentee parents wasn't addressed as fully as it could have been, considering how it affected the man he became. Still, one advantage of the non-linear structure was the placement of a scene with his mother that occurs earlier in his career, but his placed towards the end of the film for emotional impact. A little manipulative? Maybe, but I don't mind being emotionally jerked around by a movie once in a while.

All things considered, the filmmakers did a lot to make this stand out from all of the other biopics out there, even if it does treat its subject with kid gloves and goes on a little longer than I would have liked. Still, Chadwick Boseman's performance alone is enough to recommend this film, and there's so much great music in it that it's hard not to like.

I know folks have been talking about a James Brown biopic for years and I secretly hoped that it would not come to pass. I feared that it would be butchered in an attempt to "butts in the seats". I know folks need to make money but don't kill something wonderful in the process. This movie was WAY better than I had hoped. Kudos to Mick Jagger and a standing ovation for Mr. Chadwick Boseman.

I did not see "42" but the brotha knocked this one clean out of the park. Loved seeing Voila Davis, Octavia Spencer and my girl Jill Scott as well. Of course, the music was amazing! I couldn't get over how Boseman captured James Brown's pattern of speech, walk, dance moves, etc. This performance was electric. Now I have to go read, "The One" to find out how much was fact and how much was fiction.

If you have any interest whatsoever in JB music, catch this one!

"You can't make everybody happy and still stay on top." What do you get when you take a young black man growing up in the segregated south abandoned by his mother and raised by his grandmother in a brothel add in a desire to succeed at all costs and toss in more soul and funk than you can handle. The answer…you get the Godfather of Soul…James Brown. I love true story movies and ones that I know a little about are my favorite. Like most people my age my first introduction to James Brown was in Rocky 4. I have liked his music but knew very little about his life. I can't speak to how accurate the movie is but what I can say is the Chadwick Boseman did an amazing job. The best part of the music bio-pics hasn't been the actual movie itself but the acting. Jamie Foxx, Joaquin Phoenix and now Chadwick Boseman. They all inhabit the characters and that is the most exciting and interesting aspect of the movie. You feel like your watching the actual events and not a recreation. Overall, an OK movie that James Brown fans will love but the reason to watch is for Boseman's portrayal. I give this a B.