FOLLOW THE BEAT TO ITS SOURCE.
In 1940s Chicago, Polish immigrant and jazz club entrepreneur Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) gets involved with a record label and starts signing Black artists that will change the history of rock ‘n’ roll… Darnell Martin’s chronicle of the rise and fall of Chess Records invites us into the lives, joys and sorrows of people like Muddy Waters and Etta James (both very well played by Jeffrey Wright and Beyoncé Knowles, who also do their own singing) and shows how South Side violence threatened the company. Bites off a lot to chew, but Martin can handle it well enough, and the music is skillfully recreated.
2008-U.S. 108 min. Color. Widescreen. Written and directed by Darnell Martin. Music: Terence Blanchard. Song: “Once in a Lifetime” (performed by Beyoncé Knowles). Cast: Adrien Brody (Leonard Chess), Jeffrey Wright (Muddy Waters), Beyoncé Knowles (Etta James), Gabrielle Union, Cedric the Entertainer, Columbus Short… Mos Def, Eric Bogosian. Cameo: Vincent D’Onofrio.
Trivia: Co-executive produced by Knowles. Matt Dillon was allegedly first considered for the role of Chess.
