Cadillac Records Trailer Starring Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright and Beyoncé Knowles

Posted by on November 4th, 2008   Filed under: Biopic, Music, Trailers

I hate to prejudge a movie that delves into the magical early days of rock and roll with the help of some great actors, but lately these musical biopics are starting to get just a little too repetitive and predictable for me. Every time I see a new one coming out now, I can’t help but think of Walk Hard and all the cliches that it lampooned so well. Cadillac Records tells the story of Chess Records, a record label based in Chicago in the ’50s that was home to such legendary artists as Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Etta James. The movie stars Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess and Shiloh Fernandez as Phil Chess, the two brothers who owned the label, in addition to Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, Beyoncé Knowles as Etta James, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, and Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon.

While it’s obvious that these people all had a huge influence on rock music, and I am interested in seeing their back stories, everything about this movie just feels a little too slick for me. The casting of Beyoncé Knowles in particular screams out marketing gimmick, and when I see her singing in the trailer all I can think about is the soundtrack and music video opportunities that come pre-packaged with this flick. Adding insult to injury is the fact that there was already a another movie about the exact same topic that played at the Toronto Film Festival this year called Who Do You Love?. Of course, that one doesn’t star Beyoncé, so something tells me it will now have a much harder time getting noticed. Check out the trailer for Cadillac Records over at Yahoo! and see what you think. Cadillac Records hits theatres on December 5th.

» Related Link: Yahoo!: Cadillac Records Trailer



  • I’m excited about this because I’m a huge music fan and the cast is solid. Hell, I’ll pretty much watch any music biopic that comes out in theaters, much in the way Greg will watch and sports flick that comes out.

    Also, I live down the street from Phil Chess, who co-founded Chess with his brother Leonard. I see him in the Starbucks across the street sometimes, so this movie will be an extra treat for me.

    He and his brother had a wild life that could be film-worthy if it was done right; they moved to the US from Poland, worked in Chicago nightclubs for Al Capone, and Phil served in WWII. They also, of course, founded arguably the greatest independent rock/blues label of all time. So I hope they don’t mess this one up and can make it at least enjoyable like Ray and Walk the Line.

  • Greg

    I like the music films a lot too. Having worked in the industry for over 10 years helps keep me interested.

    However…not a fan of Beyonce singing Etta James’ ‘At Last’.

  • Beyonce is beyond terrible. From Goldmember to Dream Girls she’s been the worst thing of every movie she’s been in. She’s not a good actress whatsoever.

  • Mike

    I’m excited about this too, I grew up on the blues

  • Liz

    Apparently Beyonce is barely in this, so that’s not so bad. I’m also a fan of the music biopics and I think this one is slightly different because it’s not about a musician, it’s about a record exec, so I’m hoping there won’t be such a huge “look how his tortured creative soul drove him to drink and do drugs” angle on this one because that’s never interesting to me.

  • mum

    Phil Chess was left out of the flick totally… Already Leonard’s son has complained that it’s a huge mistake and the storyline is half gone because of it. That makes me skepical about the flick, though I love Wright and Brody… There’s also the issue of another musical…it’s beyond redundant and obviously female stars hope to use these kinds of films as means of snagging the Oscar. I know Beyonce was used primarily as a marketing tool but the idea that so much of the movie’s focus should now be on her portrayal of Etta is ridiculous. I don’t think she can act. After watching the trailor and giving her the benefit of the doubt, she’s at best a singer trying her best to read the lines in a “play voice.”

  • What an amazing cast! I caught a pre-screening and I love the story. It covers the foundation of music at its best, unlike much of what is being released today. Adrien Brody lights up this film and Beyonce proves herself as an actor.

    I HYPED it on EverHYPE and scored it 93%, which I think is very accurate.

    http://www.everhype.com/hyper/mikeborgia?X=M735

    If you get on there, rate me a 5 on it and request friendship.