Cadillac Records
Cadillac Records
In this tale of sex, violence, race, and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, "Cadillac Records" follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.
elliotclowes reviewedJune 2, 2025
This is a curious one. At times this feels paint-by-numbers and a bit cringe – with some over the top acting. And the second half of the film, with Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles) and Chuck Berry (Mos Def), is no where near as good as the first half. It’s all a bit rushed and shallow. It needed to steal 10-15 minutes from the first half, which was much slower paced.
However, you can help but like the film. It’s got fun, romance and great music. And the music is done good. Musical biopics often have too little music, or too much. Or simply spend too much time in one area. This has a nice amount of musical and personal.
Cadillac Records possesses an infectious enthusiasm that's difficult to resist. And I repeat: you can’t help but like it.