Based on the two books penned by the legendary man himself, "Cash: The Authobiography" and "Man in Black", "Walk the Line" is a biopic of the famous country music singer, Johnny Cash. Just recently, a movie of its kind was also released, depicting the life of jazz sensation Ray Charles, played by Jamie Foxx for which he won an Oscar.

Unlike Jamie Foxx who resembles Ray Charles, Joaquin Phoenix who plays the lead role doesn't even remotely look like Johnny Cash. But what he lacked in facial resemblance he compensated for his impeccable imitation of the guitar-slinging, forlorn-looking, artist's stage appeal.

The movie is titled after one of Johnny Cash's songs, which speaks about the troubles of fighting temptations while married. The title befits the movie about Cash who also experienced the same difficulties himself.

Cash's influence on other genres of music is not something the world easily forgets. With a huge fan base around the globe, I would not be surprised that this film gets all the attention it rightly deserves. Attention it certainly deserves, as it is clearly one of the biopic films ever produced.

The movie launches its story beginning with a jailhouse scene where prisoners enthusiastically applauds for an awaited musical performance. Joaquin Phoenix then appears onscreen, tracing his fingers along a mechanical saw's teeth and the next sequences backtracks to Cash's childhood in Arkansas. In 1940, an episode happened that turned Cash's life around. His older brother, Jack, died from a sawmill accident and his heartless father (Robert Patrick) who regarded him as nothing, put the blame on him. Cash then carried an unending anguish.

The film then follows Johnny to his Army Service where he devotes his time to writing and composing songs that sings of the hard life. After the service, he marries his first wife, Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin) and makes his living as a door-to-door salesman. His meager pay cannot afford him a fancy lifestyle and his impoverished state of living almost creates a family estrangement. But it all soon changes when he auditions to producer Sam Phillips whose Sun Studios caters to other artists like Elvis Presley (Tyler Hilton). Auditioning with band mates Marshall Grant (Larry Bagby), the bassist and Luther Perkins (Dan John Miller), the guitarist, Phillips initially finds their music sort of 'unbelievable' in a bad way. Not until Cash strums the first chords and sings the first lyrics of his own composed song that Phillips finally signs them under his studio's label. With that success, Johnny soon joins Carl Perkins (Johnny Holiday), Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Payne), and June Carter (Reese Witherspoon) on tours and performs to their live audience in the South and in Canada.

This is the part where the film starts focusing on the love story of Cash and Carter. They initially become friends-- which is the strong foundation of their relationship-- although the smitten Johnny obviously craves for more. But both of them are not available for the taking; Johnny is married to Vivian and has daughters-- a reason enough for them to keep whatever they have for each other deflected. But even though June becomes divorced, and Johnny is left by his wife, he still can't make his move on her, and June is not immediately inclined to fostering a relationship with him.

Johnny's dependence on amphetamines and alcohol probably did not help him have June that time. His drug addiction finally results in health and financial problems. All alone and flat broke, Johnny asks help from June. His conversion to born-again in 1970 and rehabilitation put an end to his pill-taking and alcohol-drinking days. Johnny tries to regain control of his life, slowly getting back on the music scene and proposing to June Carter. These significant moments in Cash's life is continously shown up until his celebrated Falsom Prison performance in 1968.

The film is rather unsuccessful in providing an understanding on how Johnny's music developed. All the film lets us see is the important events on Johnny's existence, thus, carelessly disregarding an essential aspect of the legend's life. I just feel it is crucial to show the people how Johnny Cash became a country music revolutionary, how his music provides the foundation for other genres of music. It is also necessitous that the film offered a further grasp of the country's first couple's historical accomplishments, music-wise.

The production could have done better though. Although the costumes are excellently done, the makeup leaves a lot to be desired. They succeeded in transforming a nobody Cash to country music legend Cash in terms of costumes, but failed at morphing Cash and Carter (and come to think of it, even the rest of the cast) into their age-advanced versions (meaning, older-looking). If it isn't for the year indication at the bottom of the screen, I would probably think that I am watching a film frozen at one era.

But despite the film's inadequacy, James Mangold nevertheless brings a plain biography into sheer movie brilliance. He tells the life story in a way that would generate deep empathy for and understanding of the man. He succeeds in showing us just what it is like to be Johnny Cash.

The movie's success is to be attributed to its talented cast who did all of their singing and acting. There's no wonder Reese Witherspoon won the Oscar's Best Actress Award for her role in this film. Reese Witherspoon gave a magnificent performance as the sassy June Carter-- her accent and good singing voice also adds boost to her already fantastic acting. The same goes for actor Joaquin Phoenix who's imitation of Johnny Cash's deep bass and mimicking of Cash's signature stage moves is just plain entertaining as well as satisfying. Their chemistry onscreen is another factor for the film's success.

It is not often that you get to see a film that is almost so faultlessly produced that seeing "Walk The Line" is like having an entire new movie experience.

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