Impressive, the film Get on Up has a fine cast, direction and a story that’s convincing with its excellent acting. It entertains on two levels, a heartrending biography and the singer that changed music in America. The film is directed by Tate Taylor who brought The Help to the screen and now tackles a difficult bio with an uplifting movie that’s pure gold. Now on Blu-ray and DVD in a combo pact, the film transfers well to home theaters.
Unless you lived during the 60’s through the 80’s you may not be aware of the man who brought America from mediocrity to fledgling funk, a mixture of soul music, jazz, and R&B. While some artists like Little Richard increased his Rock and Roll legacy by adding Funk, it was James Brown (played by Chadwick Boseman) who brought it to the forefront. Using the rock guitars, drums and piano, Brown’s Famous Flames were brass players who blew trumpet, sax and trombones that popped jazz/rock atop the music charts.
Coming from a very poor family who lived off the land in Barnwell, South Carolina, James found himself heading for a life of poverty. His father Joe (Lennie James) was a wife abuser and his mother Susie (Viola Davis) left him while James was still very young. Not being able to provide for James, his father took him to live with his Aunt Honey (Octavia Spencer) who ran a brothel in Augusta, Georgia. There he found a way to earn a dollar or two by getting men to frequent the whorehouse. The town’s local church also gave him the rhythm that would make him famous.
He was arrested for stealing a suit in his late teens and a prison ward became his home. There he met Bobby Byrd leader of a band playing for the inmates. So began his upward career as one of America’s greatest singers and founder of funk. Director Tate Taylor uses a bounce back technique throughout the film with flashes of Brown’s early life while Chadwick Boseman narrates the sequences. Nicely created, the technique works well here and cuts out what would be a boring biography. Taylor guides the fine acting of Boseman who nails Brown in his older life and the Scott brothers Jordan and Jamarion to portray his youngster years.
Dancing on stage like the Godfather of Soul himself, Boseman puts on an amazing show as James Brown. He busts some moves like Brown’s signature “mashed potatoes” that even Michael Jackson may not have been able to accomplish. It may be James Brown’s life, but it’s Boseman’s movie. Every frame shows his possession of the great artist’s mojo including some very dark dramatic scenes during his rise to fame. Through the magic of movies Brown’s sync and Boseman’s real voice are all part of one of the most intricate performances on film.
Acting support includes film greats Octavia Spencer, Dan Aykroyd, and Viola Davis providing characters that enhance the life of Brown. But it’s rising star Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette Reynolds in TV’s “True Blood”), playing Brown’s longtime friend Bobby Byrd that gives body to the film. Working the character, he ably depicts Byrd’s dejection and even gets behind Brown when he realizes he has to take a back seat to the funk star for the sake of everyone’s future. It’s Ellis that makes key dramatic scenes work.
The Blu-ray and DVD both carry special features. The Blu-ray however has the full ten extras. The added hour of features makes the Blu-ray Combo Pack superior to most extras passed on to home viewers. It’s a nice companion piece to the film and the quality and planned aforethought is truly welcome.
BONUS FEATURES
Features on both Blu-Ray and DVD include:
“Long Journey to the Screen” This shows how Producer Brian Grazer fought to get the script for the film and his collaboration with Mick Jagger over a 14year period getting it to the screen.
“Chadwick Boseman: Meet Mr. James Brown” Shows how the lead star was chosen from many, the way he had to imitate the great singer and the choreography of his stage movements.
“The Get on Up family” has comments by the stars who made up the fine ensemble cast including the magnificent Viola Davis.
“Tate Taylor’s Master Class” This extremely funny outtake with Allison Janney and John Benjamin Hickey dancing to James’s Brown music. THIS IS A MUST SEE…watch it to the very end when Tate Taylor gets in the act. It’s an immediate classic.
“Feature Commentary by Director and P:roducer Tate Taylor” Turn on the commentary and replay the film for some personal views on the making of Get On UP.
In addition to above, only on the Blu-ray are the following features:
“Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes” I am very happy that Tate Taylor included his cuts. Professionally produced, the scenes could have easily been slipped into the film for an extended version. They actually should have been included in the theatrical version as they add a lot to the story. I especially like the extended ‘Alone in the Woods’ snip-it that shows James Brown at an early age fending for himself while his father takes off for days on end. It shows the acting ability of the actors the Scott brothers Jordan and Jamarion.
“Full Song Performances” Watch as four of Brown’s songs are performed by Boseman including ‘Out of Sight’, ‘Steal Away’ and ‘I’ll Go Crazy’.
“On Stage with the Hardest Working Man” Shows Brown (Boseman) on stage at three of his most prestigious venues.
“The Founding Father of Funk” Jagger and Grazer along with some of the cast talk about James Brown’s influence on their lives.
And More
The transfer from screen to home video is extremely good with all the color and sounds of this biography of a great artist. The story is compelling and when watched on Blu-Ray 1080p HD Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 or the DVD Anamorphic Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.85:1.
The sound quality is very good with both the Blu-Ray DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DVD Dolby Digital 2.0. The music has an amazing quality and played nicely with both my television and upgraded speaker system.
Get on Up has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sexual content, drug use, some strong language, and violent situations. The nearly 2 and a half enjoyable hours fly by with this winner. Be very cautious when deciding to allow immature children see the film as it does have some scenes that are very inappropriate for adolescents.
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Lennie James, Tika Sumpter, Jill Scott and Dan Aykroyd
Directed by: Tate Taylor
Genre: Drama, Music
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, drug use, some strong language, and violent situations.
Running Time: 2 hrs 18 min
Release Date: August 1, 2014
Video Release Date: January 6, 2015
Language: English
Format: Blu-Ray/DVD
Audio: Blu-Ray DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DVD Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: Blu-Ray 1080p HD Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, DVD Anamorphic Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Number of Discs: 2 Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, + Digital Download
Distributed by: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
