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Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Gabrielle Union, Beyonce Knowles, Columbus Short ... see more see more... , Mos Def , Cedric the Entertainer , Emmanuelle Chriqui , Eamonn Walker , Tammy Blanchard , Shiloh Fernandez

Directed by TV veteran Darnell Martin, the musical drama Cadillac Records documents the compelling true-life story of the Chicago record label that helped the world discover such legendary artists as ... read more read more...Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Chuck Berry. Founded in 1950 by Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody), Chess Records quickly gained a reputation as home to some of the most talented and influential blues artists ever to step into a recording studio. But giving these musicians an opportunity to bring their music to the world was no easy task, because along the way there was enough sex, drugs, and rock & roll to ensure that things around Chess Records never got boring. Featuring Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, Gabrielle Union as Geneva Wade, Beyoncé Knowles as Etta James, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon, and Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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64% liked it

61,651 ratings

Critics

68% liked it

120 critics

R, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: Darnell Martin

Release Date: December 5, 2008

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DVD Release Date: March 10, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (2,068)

  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    May 14, 2012
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    If you take the ride, you must pay the price.

    Good but not so great. Cadillac Records is narrated by songwriter Willie Dixon played by Cedric the Entertainer. The film needs a narrator to compensate for the lack of a strong story arc. Nonetheless, Cadillac Records is worth seein... read moreg for the music and the recreation of a bygone era. Just don't expect any drama that will knock your socks off!

    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.
  • cosmo313
    November 20, 2011
    cosmo313
    This is a thoroughly enjoyable, though heavy fictionalized film about the story of Leonard Chess and Chess Records- the legendary and influential man and label responsible for creating the "electric" blues scene in Chicago from the early 1940s-late 1960s. It's a story that defini... read moretely is worthy of being told cinematically. As it turns out, this film isn't the only one to tackle this subject, though I am unfamiliar with the other versions.

    All in all, this is a pretty decent film, and, as I opened this review with, it is quite entertaining. It's not a musicla per se, but musical performances do make up a good chunk of the running time. Besides providing the story for Leonard, his label, and some of the people who recorded for him (and what a lineup it was!), the film does also give insight into the racial tensions of the era and the legacy of the blues, R&B, and soul. Even though it addresses these things, I could have used a stronger analysis and more depth here, as well as a more accurate portrayal of the characters and the history, but that's just the nitpicking historian in me.

    There is a fair issues for me with this film, and that is, even though the film has a good story, the script isn't really all that original or great, and the direction, though okay, isn't really all that distinct or remarkable. Thankfully though, things are saved (and pretty much carried) by the great casting and the wonderful performances by said cast, and the excellent music and musical performances.

    Here's the lineup to prove my point: Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, Beyonce Knowles as Etta James, Columbus Short as Little Walter, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon, and Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf, and that's just for starters. As great as these people are, and as much as I loved their work (especially Brody, Wright, Knowles, and Def) I also really loved Norman Reedus in a supporting role as the engineer at the studio. It's not a big or really significant role, but he does a good job, and I think he's just in general a solid actor who deserves more work.

    All in all, this could have been a better work, but it's a decent enough overview and introduction to a great moment in music history, despite the flaws. If you happen to like anyone in the cast, dig the blues, or want to know more about any of this stuff, then give this one a watch.
  • danperry17
    December 31, 2010
    danperry17
    According to my friends who know a lot about the Delta Blues, Chess Records and Chicago, this is a very accurate historical film. That it's narrated by Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer) and features Mos Def as a striking Chuck Berry helps, Beyonce got her hands - voice - on s... read moreome Etta James standards, and Eamonn Walker was no less than fantastic as Howlin' Wolf.

    And yet, I wasn't all that satisfied with this film. I can't really explain it. I think Adrien Brody was a little flat, and on the whole the film lands on the cheesy side. I think it was just too glossy to be believed - despite its being true. A good film, not as great as it might have been though.
  • jjnxn
    May 5, 2010
    jjnxn
    Great music but a draggy diffuse screenplay weighs this down and makes it seem longer than it really is.
  • FilmFanatik
    January 10, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    Decent rock n roll movie.
  • paulsandberg
    November 6, 2009
    paulsandberg
    as far as docu-dramas go, this is a darned good one - perhaps it's because the subject matter is close to my heart, and perhaps it's because you get to hear re-worked versions of all those great 50's songs.

    It was fun for me to rub elbows with Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Chuck... read more Berry and Etta James, and the imagining of the discovery of the unknown territory (later coined Rock And Roll) was marvelous.

    Beyonce as Etta James was a marvel, encompassing everything from her brassy exterior and tinted hair to her underlying vulnerablility and soft cruves.

    The story ark was hardly compelling and there was a certain unflinching "let's move on to the next shot" feel to the film, but for all that, there were enough flashes of brilliance to make this a very worthwhile viewing.

    There were certainly hints of underhanded deals by the record company, but that ended up being glossed over, even when it could have given much more tension to the action - perhaps fear of defamation by Chess's estate? Too bad as the angle of racial useury could have been racheted up.

    Many interesting musical tid-bits to consider: When Chuck Berry heard "surfin' USA" on the radio and realized it was a note for note rip-off of Sweet Lil 16. Also the voice over by Willie Dixon explaining how his song Hoochie Koochie Man created a persona for Muddy Waters. All priceless pearls.
  • deano
    September 20, 2009
    deano
    I love this biopic story of the 1950s Chicago's Chess Records, the label that was home to black artists by the most influential music producer, Leonard Chess (Adrian Brody). Unlike other music biopics that concentrate on single artists, this ambitious, episodic film is a compilat... read moreion of the legendary Blues musicians attached to the label, complete with some novelty casting like Mof Def as Chuck Berry, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters and Beyonce Knowles as Etta James.
  • EightThirty
    July 26, 2009
    EightThirty
    Check this one out.. Pretty good.. it gets and O for Awsome ^_^
  • MissMorganLeee
    July 6, 2009
    MissMorganLeee
    This was an interesting look at rockandroll and Blues at its best...I felt like I had watched this movie before though. It didnt really seem original! Adrien Brody was great AAAAS always! Beyonce wasnt bad either! But it seemed like the same movie as Dream Girls...Her voices is a... read morelways SPOT ON AND PERFECT! soo clear and she's very good at letting her emotions come though to song.

    Just not that Fresh, but not terrible.
  • bottcorecords1
    January 31, 2009
    bottcorecords1
    After "Ray" and "Walk the Line", and now "Cadillac Records", it's become apparent to me that the great musical innovators of our past really were great: that they could create such masterworks of music, and only donate a small percentage of their time to creating it, is quite an ... read moreachievement. An even greater achievement in the face of their personal lives, which seem quite frankly, a mess. Where did they ever get the time to write such great songs, while at the same time constantly delivering powerful soliquies and having dramatic confrontations with their loved ones? How did they find the time to learn to play their respective instruments, while engaging in self-destructive behavior and breaking down emotionally over complex "daddy" issues? Perhaps these films lie. No, I don't believe that men who lived 50 and 60 years ago are "just like us". No, I don't believe Little Walter went around "bustin' caps on stupidass niggaz, yo". I don't believe these actors when they get in front of a camera and "emote" and "act". Can't we have our heroes portrayed as the real people they were? I know bio pics are dramatic, but can't we have the drama come from the events of life, not the people themselves? The single, solitary shining light in this movie is Mos Def's hilariously accurate portrayal of Chuck Berry. He somehow captured the essence of the man beautifully (I wish they had just made a movie about Chuck starring Mos Def, that would've been a much more worthwhile endeavor). The biggest offender is Beyonce, who ham-fists her way through both Etta James' music and her life. The musical performances by the actors of this film are a general disappointment throughout: only Howlin Wolf's portrayer seems to nail that rasp of his (Wright's Muddy Waters is especially atrocious and bland- if Muddy really sang like that he never would've been famous). I don't know much about the Chess family, but from all accounts this movie took great liberties with the story. I can excuse historical inaccuracies, I can't excuse hammy acting.

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Critic Reviews

Peter Howell
February 20, 2009
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Perhaps there were insurmountable legal restrictions. But the movie still serves as a dandy primer for rediscovering a lot of great music. Full Review

Stephen Cole
February 20, 2009
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

Anyone who likes pop music or wonders how bands like the Rolling Stones got rolling will enjoy the ride. Full Review

Ben Lyons
December 8, 2008
Ben Lyons, At the Movies

I think music fans will enjoy this. Full Review

Ben Mankiewicz
December 8, 2008
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies

There is not one authentic moment of human discourse in the whole movie. Full Review

Peter Rainer
December 8, 2008
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

The film suffers at times from biopic-itis -- the narrative unfolds with the requisite heartbreak carefully apportioned -- but it's always eye-catching. Full Review

Joe Morgenstern
December 5, 2008
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Cadillac Records may be a mess dramatically, but it's a wonderful mess, and not just because of the great music. Full Review

Claudia Puig
December 5, 2008
Claudia Puig, USA Today

While the story could use a tighter focus, the ensemble is strong and the music makes Cadillac Records worth catching. Full Review

Dana Stevens
December 5, 2008
Dana Stevens, Slate

One of the strengths of Cadillac Records, written and directed by Darnell Martin, is that it's a movie about music by someone who genuinely seems to enjoy listening to music. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
December 5, 2008
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A good general rule is that if one performance is good, credit the actor. But if everyone in the movie is doing excellent work, this is no coincidence. This is the product of superior direction. Full Review

Stephanie Zacharek
December 5, 2008
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Martin, who also wrote the script, takes liberties with the Chess story, most notably dispensing altogether with Phil Chess. But "Cadillac Records" is such an exhilarating, spirited piece of work that... Full Review

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Cadillac Records Trivia

  • IN THE MOVIE CADILLAC RECORDS WHO PLAYED THE ROLE OF ETTA JAMES IN THE MOVIE?  Answer »
  • IN THE MOVIE CADILLAC RECORDS, MO DEF PLAYED THE ROLE OF CHUCK BERRY,WHAT WAS CHUCK BERRY'S ONLY NUMBER ONE POP HIT?  Answer »
  • IN THE MOVIE CADILLAC RECORDS WHO DID ETTA JAMES BELIEVED TO BE HER FATHER,BUT HE DENIED HER?  Answer »
  • IN CADILLAC RECORDS WHICH OF THESE SINGERS ARE ALIVE TODAY?  Answer »
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