Get on Up (2014)

Chadwick Boseman's acting, in my opinion, was excellent. I really, really, can't believe or understand why he and this movie didn't win an Academy Award. Maybe because I tend to lean more toward natural and believable acting roles than those of generally expected, predictable roles. All the actors were so good and I just watched it again on TV (CTRC) and still enjoyed it as if I was watching it for the first time. That's when you know a movie is good...that's the measuring tool. Plus James Brown's life was an interesting one, no doubt. He rose through the ashes and made something of himself, almost as if, it was just plain destiny. Even though he was treated so bad as a child, it made him the man he became and nobody can take that away...nobody.

Chadwick Boseman is great as James Brown. He captures the man at the various stages of his life and career which cannot be easy to do. Many remember James Brown as he was when THEY saw him, but this movie captures JB when he looked and acted very differently. Check out YouTube videos of the young JB and you see how well Chadwick Boseman did.it cannot be easy to capture one of the greatest Soul/Funk performers of all time, especially the dancing but Mr Boseman gets it spot on.It was also good to see James early life and how his childhood shaped the man he was to become. Also the movie does not gloss over the less than nice man JB could be.Good movie this.

Biographical drama about the Godfather of Soul, told in a non-linear timeline of sorts, starting off with a drug-induced James Brown (played very well by Boseman, though the performance reeks of effort) toting around a gun because someone took a dump in his bathroom (an interesting choice of character development by director Taylor) and then jumps back to his sad childhood and then works its way up to his seemingly quick rise to fame. Bard (Ellis) seems to leave Brown's side for good several times, yet he always reappears without any explanation of amends. A hands down fascinating story of a fascinating man, delivered by a very talented cast and crew; but some inexplicable ways of conveying things surely hold this film back from its fullest potential.*** (out of four)

This is not an easy movie for me to review. For starters, I don't like the music of James Brown at all. Sure, growing up when I did I was aware of him and his music. But that was not any reason for me to watch this movie. And in fact, despite perhaps understanding who James Brown was a little better, this movie didn't make me like who he was as a person anymore than I did before. After watching this film I simply see James Brown as a man who overestimated the importance of his musical genre, and had no perspective about his personal importance. It appears that he alienated virtually everyone who associated with him. However, I must give him credit for coming from as poor and underprivileged and abusive background as one could come from and his mark in the world.Then there's the film itself. I liked it a lot except TOO MANY FLASHBACKS; flashbacks are often overdone, as they are here. Yes, flashbacks were needed in this film, but they could have been better done. And the penultimate scene with his mother was totally out of place. The look into various aspects of southern Black life at a certain point in history was fascinating.But then there's what I watched the film for -- the performance of Chadwick Boseman. Mark my words: if this young actor selects roles carefully, I believe he will be one of the finest and most acclaimed actors in American cinema.There are other fine performances here -- Dan Ackroyd is perfect as the promoter. Viola Davis is superb in the thankless role of James Brown's mother. Octavia Spencer is wonderful as "Aunt Honey". I was also very impressed by Nelsan Ellis.But in the end, the film is a tour de force for Chadwick Boseman. I'm not sure there ever was a biopic with a more impressive performance.