Get on Up

First Hit:  The music was great, dancing even better, historically somewhat interesting, and confusing in how it was put together.

I recall listening to James Brown (played by Chadwick Boseman) in the early 1960s thinking, this guy’s doing his own thing and it is very soulful.

Not soulful like the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, or The Platters. Brown’s music was in a word “Funky”. He is and was the creator of the funk sound. He mixed musical rhythms together that may have made a classical musical teacher cringe, but in the end the sound was powerful, interesting and in the soulful groove of us all.

His music reached across races – James Brown made such an impact in music that is felt today and will forever be felt. The film gave perspective of where he came from, how he was raised, and his belief that he knew what he wanted his music to sound like. One of the most interesting scenes is during a rehearsal when he told everyone that their musical instrument was a drum – and that the beat he wanted would work if they did what he said.

The film also gave a glimpse as to his beliefs of our government and race. He demanded respect from his musicians and was a task master. He didn’t trust many people. The music came through loud and clear and the camera work on some of the dancing was very good. However the crisscross movement of time to review his past and present life was confusing at times because the relation to time was not well marked. There were times I had to think as to what time in his life we were seeing.

Boseman was really good as Brown and he seemed to get a lot of the dancing footwork down which may not have been easy. Nelsan Ellis played his best friend and bandmate Bobby Byrd. Ellis was really strong and he made Boseman’s character better. He provide a deeper understanding of Brown. Dan Aykroyd played his manager and business partner Ben Bart. As Bart, Ackroyd was fantastic. His seriousness and sarcasm was perfect. Viola Davis as Susie Brown (mother) was very strong and provided both warmth, remorse and depth to the film. Jez and John-Henry Butterworth wrote the screenplay which required research and a willingness to dig into the positives and darker side of his life. Tate Taylor directed this film and may have made it more complicated to view than necessary.

Overall:  The music was outstanding – I enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane.

The Campaign

First Hit:  It was very funny at times while at other times reflectively poignant of our political process.

Cam Brady (played by Will Ferrell) is a multi-elected congressman who does little in congress but loves being a member. He’s running unopposed until two wealthy businessmen Glenn and Wade Motch (played by John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd respectively) decide they want some influence in congress so that they can build a new factory in Brady's congressional district.

The kicker is that the workers will be imported from China at very low wages. It is what they call "insourcing". They select the younger odd-ball son of Raymond Huggins (played by Brian Cox) Marty (Zach Galifianakis) who they think they can easily manipulate.

Marty gives tours of his home town for a living but he’s always wanted to be seen as someone more than this, especially by his father. To assist Marty, Glenn and Wade hire a take no prisoners campaign manager Tim Wattley (played by Dylan McDermott). With Tim’s guidance, Marty becomes ruthless in his quest to win the election.

Cam is and becomes more of what most people don’t like about politicians, untruthful, unfaithful, scheming, and willing to do anything, including airing manipulative television commercials, to win. Marty is meeting him punch for punch, but learns the lesson sooner than Cam that he has to live with himself and in the final day of the campaign decides to promote telling the truth, the real truth.

The parallels to the real election process are astonishing and with our country in election mode, this film is timely. One very nice touch is having real and famous newsmen be part of the script. They are used to announce the latest news from the campaign.

Lastly, showing how both wives can and are affected by the power of publicity was very good.

Ferrell, although not my favorite actor, is pretty good in this role. Although too much Will Farrell and less of his character at times, he does carry this role, enough for the audience to see our election stupidity. Galifianakis is good but also stuck in a type casting of the same kind of person he’s played in other films. Fortunately it works here. Lithgow and Aykroyd are great as rich manipulators who point fingers at each other in front of a congressional hearing. McDermott was very amusing as the dark hired hand to make Marty a winner. Cox is great as Marty’s overly stuffed and arrogant father. Shawn Harwell and Chris Henchy must have had a lot of fun writing this script knowing this film would air during an election year. Jay Roach did a very good job of bringing poignant humor and truth by showing us the absurdity of our election process.

Overall:  This was an enjoyable film with some interesting likenesses to our current election.