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Universal Pictures
Get On Up: The James Brown Story
In his follow-up to the four-time Academy Award®-nominated blockbuster The Help, Tate Taylor directs 42’s Chadwick Boseman as James Brown in Get on Up. Based on the incredible life story of the Godfather of Soul, the film will give a fearless look inside the music, moves and moods of Brown, taking audiences on the journey from his impoverished childhood to his evolution into one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. Boseman is joined in the drama by Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Lennie James, Tika Sumpter, Jill Scott and Dan Aykroyd.
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The new James Brown bio pic, Get On Up, is an “I Feel Good” kind of movie... when it should have been “I Feel Great”. The Universal Pictures release is due out this Friday, August 1st (bravely going against Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy at the box office), features Chadwick Boseman in the title role, and lists Mick Jagger and Brian Grazer among the film’s producers.
Boseman (a very likeable actor who played Jackie Robinson in 42) admirably plays Brown from ages 16 to 60 and the movie begins somewhat oddly with a 1988 confrontation Brown has with an insurance seminar going on in one of his buildings. From there, the narrative shifts to the 1960’s, then to the ‘30s with scenes of Brown as a small child, in a jumpy timeline structure that is easy enough to follow, though never quite takes hold in setting an emotional connection with the on-screen personalities.
Nelsan Ellis proves revelatory as Brown’s longtime friend and stage partner, Bobby Byrd, who stuck with the Godfather of Soul, through many a thick and thin, before finally splitting up their friendship in a poignant later scene of the movie. Brown’s history as a performer is touched on in several somewhat brief episodes to fit it all into the 138 min. running time; from his signing with King Records, to interactions with Little Richard, to even a scene slighting The Rolling Stones themselves as Brown had to give up the headlining slot of the fabled T.A.M.I. Show filming of two nights in the early ‘60s.
As worthy as Boseman is in the lead role (the makeup on him as an aging Brown often looked eerily like the man himself), other roles that went to more "name" actors, weren’t as successful. Dan Aykroyd as mentor Ben Bart never transcended the fact that it was Aykroyd, and Craig (The Office) Robinson as sax player Maceo Parker, seemed woefully miscast, though The Roots' Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter as Pee Wee Ellis and singer Jill Scott as Brown’s second wife, Deidre 'Deedee' Jenkins, seemed convincing enough.
Music in a picture like this takes center stage, and Boseman does a decent job in lip-synching to many of Brown’s tunes; the highlight of which perhaps, occurs late in the film as a previously unheard live version of “Tell Me” is used as former friend Byrd and his wife, re-connect with Brown later in life.
Viola Davis is her usual outstanding as Brown’s estranged mother in little to no makeup, but Oscar winner Octavia Spencer is somewhat wasted in a small role penned by English brothers, The Butterworths, who successfully also wrote the recent adaptation of Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise.
Direction from Tate (The Help) Taylor is mostly well done, if at times over symbolic, though Taylor, who is from Jackson, MS, clearly has an affinity and working knowledge of people from the south. A few cameos are present as well, with nu-soul singer Aloe Blacc playing Famous Flames bandmate, Nafloyd Scott and New Edition singer Ralph Tresvant as Sam Cooke, among others.
Aspiring to be as great a picture as Ray with Jamie Foxx was, Get On Up isn’t afraid to shy away from Brown’s darker side (abusing his wives, owing the IRS, fining band members, and leading police on a high-speed chase), it just doesn’t fully soar to engaging heights, like the funk music Soul Brother #1 helped invent that has inspired almost every musician after him.
Not to say it doesn’t entertain, but Get On Up doesn’t attain the “Star Time” status the legacy of James Brown himself, deservedly earned.
Boseman (a very likeable actor who played Jackie Robinson in 42) admirably plays Brown from ages 16 to 60 and the movie begins somewhat oddly with a 1988 confrontation Brown has with an insurance seminar going on in one of his buildings. From there, the narrative shifts to the 1960’s, then to the ‘30s with scenes of Brown as a small child, in a jumpy timeline structure that is easy enough to follow, though never quite takes hold in setting an emotional connection with the on-screen personalities.
Nelsan Ellis proves revelatory as Brown’s longtime friend and stage partner, Bobby Byrd, who stuck with the Godfather of Soul, through many a thick and thin, before finally splitting up their friendship in a poignant later scene of the movie. Brown’s history as a performer is touched on in several somewhat brief episodes to fit it all into the 138 min. running time; from his signing with King Records, to interactions with Little Richard, to even a scene slighting The Rolling Stones themselves as Brown had to give up the headlining slot of the fabled T.A.M.I. Show filming of two nights in the early ‘60s.
As worthy as Boseman is in the lead role (the makeup on him as an aging Brown often looked eerily like the man himself), other roles that went to more "name" actors, weren’t as successful. Dan Aykroyd as mentor Ben Bart never transcended the fact that it was Aykroyd, and Craig (The Office) Robinson as sax player Maceo Parker, seemed woefully miscast, though The Roots' Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter as Pee Wee Ellis and singer Jill Scott as Brown’s second wife, Deidre 'Deedee' Jenkins, seemed convincing enough.
Music in a picture like this takes center stage, and Boseman does a decent job in lip-synching to many of Brown’s tunes; the highlight of which perhaps, occurs late in the film as a previously unheard live version of “Tell Me” is used as former friend Byrd and his wife, re-connect with Brown later in life.
Viola Davis is her usual outstanding as Brown’s estranged mother in little to no makeup, but Oscar winner Octavia Spencer is somewhat wasted in a small role penned by English brothers, The Butterworths, who successfully also wrote the recent adaptation of Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise.
Direction from Tate (The Help) Taylor is mostly well done, if at times over symbolic, though Taylor, who is from Jackson, MS, clearly has an affinity and working knowledge of people from the south. A few cameos are present as well, with nu-soul singer Aloe Blacc playing Famous Flames bandmate, Nafloyd Scott and New Edition singer Ralph Tresvant as Sam Cooke, among others.
Aspiring to be as great a picture as Ray with Jamie Foxx was, Get On Up isn’t afraid to shy away from Brown’s darker side (abusing his wives, owing the IRS, fining band members, and leading police on a high-speed chase), it just doesn’t fully soar to engaging heights, like the funk music Soul Brother #1 helped invent that has inspired almost every musician after him.
Not to say it doesn’t entertain, but Get On Up doesn’t attain the “Star Time” status the legacy of James Brown himself, deservedly earned.
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