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Cadillac Records

(3,055)IMDb 7.01 h 48 min2008X-RayR

Based on the true story of Chicago's Chess Records - the modern blues record company that introduced musical legends Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Etta James and more. With Adrien Brody, Beyonce Knowles, Jeffrey Wright.

Directors: Darnell Martin

Starring: Adrien Brody Jeffrey Wright Gabrielle Union

Genres: Drama

Subtitles: English [CC]

Audio languages: English

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Supporting actors: Columbus Short Cedric The Entertainer Emmanuelle Chriqui Eamonn Walker Mos Defmore…Beyonce Knowles

Producers: Andrew Lack Sofia Sondervan

Studio: SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

Rating: R (Restricted)

Purchase rights: Stream instantly Details

Format: Prime Video (streaming online video)

Devices: Available to watch on supported devices

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Great movie about a period in American music history Chicago's Chess Records

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2020

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Cadillac Records is loosely based upon the story of Chicago’s Chess Records. The movie gets its name from the fact that the record company used to buy its top artists Cadillacs. Chess was one of America’s leading Blues, Jazz and Soul labels from the 1950s-70s. It was founded by two Jewish immigrants from Poland Leonard and Phil Chess. The movie only includes Leonard Chess played by Adrien Brody. The movie focuses upon how Chess promoted its artists Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Etta James (Beyonce), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), and Howlin Wolf (Eamon Walker). Like other labels of that time Chess ran into financial problems and cheated many of its artists. That’s all here in Cadillac Records.

The movie starts with Muddy Waters. One reason why Chess was so successful was because Chicago was the destination for many African Americans who wanted out of the south. Muddy was one of those migrants who left a plantation in Mississippi and headed north for the big city. Chess found plenty of talent like Waters out of that diaspora. Finally, Chess had to put its artists out on tour and get them on the radio that required bribes. Chess also placed the artists basically in debt. They paid them in advance against their future royalties, charged them for recording, etc. This was all part of the music business back then. This is what’s so good about Cadillac Records. It has the artists. It has the music. It has the business. It has their stories. It captures part of American history, although yes, a lot of it is made up but the larger story is true.
C

11 people found this helpful

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Jaime Contreras

Enjoyable film about those R & B, Blues and Rock N' Roll music factory on southside of Chicago

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2020

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First, I am a Blues, R & B and early rock n' roll music fan and I enjoyed this film. Second, I know there were several inaccuracies with the film such as chronological order of events, the omission of the other Chess brother, Phil who was the co-founder and co-owner of Chess Records, the absence of Bo Didley in the film, and the whitewashing of the financial control over the artists by the Chess brothers. Finally, the film itself features wonderful performances by a talented cast of actors and singers. Len Chess (Adrien Brody), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer), Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker), Chuck Berry (Mos Def) and Etta James (Beyonce Knowles). The film's sharp and biting screen play was written by tis director, Darnell Martin. Cadillac Records shines a spotlight on the dealings, people, and underbelly of the burgeoning infant music industry of R & B, Blues and Rock n' Roll. The film also brought out the rivalries among the singers, the self-destructive behavior of some of the singers, the free-spending of one, the sexual escapades, the drug and alcohol abuse, and the emotional instability of one. The heart of this film are the relationships, love, care and connections between all these talented people. There was also an innocence that came forward from many of these people. Still, it is a very good film about the Chess Record label (1947 - 1969), the Chicago music scene, and the music industry of that period,

5 people found this helpful

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Hee Chul Kwon

GREAT MOVIE ABOUT MUSICIANS

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2016

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This is the great movie about music business.
First of all, the charactor appears in this movie is just so charming to look at.
Second, the music appears are so lovely to hear. I will listen to them again and again through youtube maybe 1000 times.
Also I should never forget to mention that the music was done by fine composer/ Trumpet player Terence Blanchard a living legend jazz musician.
Adrien Brody you've seen him enough already right? <THE PIANIST><THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL><KING KONG>. He is a great actor.
In this movie he acts as an owner of the record company struggle to make it a great one.
Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry. They all are from this company and now are legends. Also appears are Rolling Stones and so on. You will be blow away by their appearence.

Beyoncé Knowles acts sings like a diva and you will never forget her face when you see this movie I mean it.
And Jeffrey Wright acting as Muddy Waters is truely unforgettable.
This movie shows ups and downs of the true great singers as well.
Moments of their times when they are in drugs, going to prison and dissapears from the scene. Coming back with really hard try for come backs.
Because of their skin color, they struggle to be survived from society. Fom cops, from mean guys and from everything.
Love and friendship.
And most of all beautiful development of their true genious music and go all the way to top the chart. Their best moments.
And there are always the leader Adrien Brody acting as Leonard Chess .

If you like soul, Rhythem and blues, rock and any kind of music you will love this movie.
If you like musician struggle to be at the top you will love this movie.

The cinematography, the song, the acting, the editing, the production design, there is not a single thing I can criticize about.
It is just perfect.

Two thumps way up and I just couldn't shut down when the credit is rolling at the end.
I wanted more.

14 people found this helpful

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Herb

History of Chess Records

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2020

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Cadillac Records is an incredible film, that creatively follows the lives of Lenny Chess, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Etta James. The script is raw, and unassuming, and deals not only with music, but racism, greed, violence, and crime. But, in the scheme of things, it is the true marriage of R&B and Rock 'N' Roll. Why the title Cadillac Records? Well, you'll have to see the film to understand. Rating: A+

5 people found this helpful

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Paul

FORGET ELVIS THIS IS THE TRUE HISTORY OF ROCK AND ROLL

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2020

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If you really want to know the history of Rock and Roll music, this is the film for you. If you want to know about the influence of Cadillac Records on pop music, recording artists that came before Elvis such as Muddy Walters, Howlin Wolf, Little Walter and the great Chuck Berry etc, then this film i s for you.

Got to big up Beyonce for producing this film and her outstanding performance as Ettta James, wicked vocals (do your thing B)

Ian Williams

Keep repeating: it's only a dramatisation, it's only a dramatisation

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2010

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This is one where you'll probably enjoy it more the less you know about the blues and Chess Records.

It is a good fictionalisation of the Chess story with some excellent performances and great music but I kept shouting out things at the screen, like- Muddy didn't steal Hubert Sumlin from Howlin Wolf, Sumlin needed more money than he was getting from Wolf but he couldn't keep up the frenetic touring of the Muddy Waters Band and went scurrying back to HW. Little Walter was easily replaced by other harpists like Walter Horton and Carey Bell. Etta James wasn't discovered by Leonard Chess but by Johnny Otis. Muddy Waters first toured the UK in 1958 (when he shocked the prissy folk-blues purists with his electric blues) not 1967; by then he'd been to Europe several times. What about Phil Chess? And where the hell is Otis Spann, Muddy's essential pianist and blood-brother? And so on.

On the other hand, it may be often factually incorrect but it does get the spirit right in terms of character and period setting. Adrian Brody is great as Leonard Chess, matched equally by Jeffrey Wright's performance as Muddy Waters, both square at the heart of the film. Terrific support by Eamon Walker (whom you'd never guess is an English actor) as Howlin' Wolf, Columbus Short as Little Walter, and I rather liked Mos Def's portrayal of the impish Chuck Berry with a well-hiddden heart of darkness. And, yes Beyonce does almost steal the show as Etta James. A final tip of the hat to Gabrielle Union as Geneva, Muddy's much put upon wife.

The movie flows nicely as it reveals the story of some of the 20th century's most influential music. The Rolling Stones visit to Chess Studios and being in awe of their idol Muddy Waters, who helps carry their bags, is ironically true as the scene comes over as mawkish.

Quibbles and irritations aside, this is as probably as good a dramatisation of the Chess story as we're ever likely to get. It deals with an important but often overlooked subject and is recommended for that alone.

8 people found this helpful

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