Get On Up may confuse with it’s non-linear timeline, but there is no misunderstanding the brilliance of Chadwick Boseman.
In last year’s 42, Boseman played baseball legend Jackie Robinson as a man suppressing his pride and bottling up his anger. It was a strong breakout performance by an actor we knew we’d be seeing again very soon. He then made a small appearance in the underrated Draft Day, as hopeful pick for the NFL draft. In Get On Up, Boseman gets the chance to let loose in a firehouse of passion, funk, and intense ferocity.
The story itself may not have audiences captivated, as the constant back and forth jump from one year to the next tends to scramble the brain. I understand not wanting to follow they typical bio-pic formula but in an attempt to be different, they might have lost track of what is more effective to moviegoers. Getting emotionally wrapped up in one scene only to be abruptly pulled away to a moment that occurs 5 years later is not only frustrating, but it is distracting. You don’t want to to forget what you just saw because you know they will be coming back at some point to finish the scenes they just started (confusing, I know). So instead of concentrating on the current sequence, you are bookmarking everything you watch. Luckily, this film isn’t about the story, it’s about the performances.
Chadwick Boseman’s phenomenal portrayal as James Brown and his A-list supporting cast is all you need to remember about this movie. The Help alums: Octavia Spencer, who plays Brown’s brothel-owning aunt, and Viola Davis, who plays Brown’s neglectful mother, slides in for the film’s most emotional scene. But it is Nelsan Ellis, who plays Bobby Bryd-Brown’s loyal best friend, that proves once again, he is more than the flamboyant comic relief as seen on True Blood every week. Boseman and Ellis share great chemistry on screen and complement each other extremely well.
In comparison to the recent bio-pic/musical, Jersey Boys, Get On Up wins by a landslide. The acting, the story, and most importantly the ability to have us care for the characters. Had the story just been slightly more chronological I would have given the film a much higher rating, but none of the faults in Get On Up deteriorates from the sensation that is Chadwick Boseman.
Rating: 3.5/5
“Get On Up” Official Trailer HD
If you have already seen the trailer for this film, then you should know that it screams Best Picture potential. But after watching the movie, it’s the performances that prove to be Oscar worthy. With an all star cast like this one, it’s not shocking that the acting would be exceptional. At this point for most of these Academy Award nominated actors, it is about competing with their own past performances. Hugh Jackman is fresh off his Best Actor nod for Les Miserable. Though I thought he did an incredible job as Jean Valjean, it’s his performance in Prisoners that has left me more satisfied than ever with the actor. Jackman takes the audience on a nail biting, dark journey to see how a desperate father handles every parent’s worst nightmare. It’s the little things that stand out in his performance, from every scowl to every deep breath he makes. I could go on for a while discussing him, but I think you see my point.
