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‘Walk the Line’ not a worthy tribute to the Man in Black

There has been a buzz going around a certain two stars singing their way into our hearts. This buzz may sound familiar — we feel it about this time of the year — but you may not find everything you’re looking for with director James Mangold’s “Walk the Line.”

The nostalgic movie serves up a bevy of surprises: Not only can Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon sing, they can sing well, and it never comes off as gimmicky, either. There is a lot of fun to be had seeing them flaunt their stuff on stage, but the best moments of the film occur offstage. There is a particular moment with the two at a diner; with subtle glances and small talk, the romance blooms with natural ease.

But there are some disappointing surprises as well: Mangold never got the clue that the biography picture pretty much sang its final song with “Ray” last Oscar-baiting season. He patched the thing together like a history book, letting the nuances slide through the cracks. It’s a shame, too, that Cash’s first wife, Vivian Cash, is left on the sidelines, painted as just another obstacle on the road to the inevitable courting of June Carter.

The most interesting and rewarding aspects of “Walk the Line” are the duets between Phoenix and Witherspoon, bringing both a bounce and a country step to their iconic roles as Johnny Cash and June Carter. What Mangold gets right are the gentler moments between the couple, letting the actors trade barbs and glances without dampening the romance.Witherspoon brings some nice touches to June Carter, a figure often left in the shadows.

There are many scenes involving Cash’s drug abuse problems, but they rarely get to the crux of his turmoil and sadness. The audience may see the man down some pills and alcohol in the back of his car or in a dank bathroom, but in Mangold’s hands, the urgency is lost. This also may be attributed to a somewhat underwhelming performance from Phoenix. He gets the voice and stage moves down, but never quite grabs on to the saintly rebel swagger that defines Cash as a popular icon.

What an opportunity Mangold had to peel the skin off the Man in Black and finally depict the god of outlaw country music in all of his glory and pain. It’s a shame that Mangold was unable to illuminate Cash to cement his legendary status in the minds of a younger generation.

If you’re looking for a psychological study on the Man in Black, you won’t find it here. The cool country music is what to come for — and the shows are a blast. Hopefully, this is not the last cinematic testament to Mr. Cash’s long career, because there is still some juicy material left for another heartbreaking Cash ditty. But we’ll just have to hum along to this one in the meantime.

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