Chuck Berry was the greatest pioneer in Rock 'N' Roll history. He is ranked by Rolling Stone Mag as the 5th greatest performer in its history. He wrote music and lyrics that will live forever, played a tremendous guitar (Rolling Stone Mag lists his as number 6th in their top 100 guitar players list) and sang real well. I wish this film would have concentrated more on him.
I read that Beyonce' gained 15 pounds to play Etta James and weighed in at 135 pounds. Etta James at one time, believe it or not I checked this out, weighed over 400 pounds.
The intent and sincerity of the director and writer was superb, but this film was somewhat flawed with inconsistencies. They had Chuck Berry singing "No Particular Place to Go" at the beginning of his stardom in the mid 1950s.
Actually he recorded this hit record in 1962. In the film Berry sang "Promised Land," a super song but a non hit that never made the top 40. Why did they not have Chuck Berry sing his great hit songs such as "roll over Beethoven," "School Days," "Sweet Little 16," "Rock 'N' Roll Music," "Back in the USA" or "Johnny B Goode"? Also, Leonard Cress never, according to famed music critic George Varga, had an affair with Etta James, and the degree to which Leonard Cress cheated and exploited his musicians was not dealt with.
Ralph Bass, who was not in the film, not Cress produced Etta James' recording sessions and Cress Record mainstays Bo Didley and John Lee Hooker were missing from the film. I do, nevertheless, highly recommend this film and would rate it a 3 on a zero to 4 star scale.
I read that Beyonce' gained 15 pounds to play Etta James and weighed in at 135 pounds. Etta James at one time, believe it or not I checked this out, weighed over 400 pounds.
The intent and sincerity of the director and writer was superb, but this film was somewhat flawed with inconsistencies. They had Chuck Berry singing "No Particular Place to Go" at the beginning of his stardom in the mid 1950s.
Actually he recorded this hit record in 1962. In the film Berry sang "Promised Land," a super song but a non hit that never made the top 40. Why did they not have Chuck Berry sing his great hit songs such as "roll over Beethoven," "School Days," "Sweet Little 16," "Rock 'N' Roll Music," "Back in the USA" or "Johnny B Goode"? Also, Leonard Cress never, according to famed music critic George Varga, had an affair with Etta James, and the degree to which Leonard Cress cheated and exploited his musicians was not dealt with.
Ralph Bass, who was not in the film, not Cress produced Etta James' recording sessions and Cress Record mainstays Bo Didley and John Lee Hooker were missing from the film. I do, nevertheless, highly recommend this film and would rate it a 3 on a zero to 4 star scale.