Cadillac Records

"Visually and narratively flat."

"The film is a fascinating record of the evolution of a black musical style, and the tangled motives of the white men who had an instinct for it."

"It's best not to worry much about the film's fidelity to history but rather simply lean back and enjoy one great jam session on film."

"Cadillac Records is a rollicking and insightful celebration of Chicago blues in its hectic golden age."

"Cadillac Records plays more like a collection of costumed episodes than a cohesive film."

"It feels disappointingly bloated and too fast-paced by half."

"A treat despite a script that crams in almost as many musical bio-pic cliches as... Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story."

"Darnell Martin's rushed mess of a movie... jams the story of Chicago-based Chess Records into one incoherent package."

"A satisfying combination of great songs and strong dramatic performances."

"While the story could use a tighter focus, the ensemble is strong and the music makes Cadillac Records worth catching."

"Cadillac Records may be a mess dramatically, but it's a wonderful mess, and not just because of the great music."

"Cadillac Records jams half a dozen music legends into one overstuffed film."

"Has as much documentary truth as a West End musical."

"Beyonce proves her Dreamgirls turn was no fluke in this so-so Blues melodrama."

"The music is great, so energetic and vital it leaves the drama looking unfocused in comparison."

"The film is a mess."

"Sadly the movie conforms to all the music-biopic stereotypes we've seen in Walk the Line, Ray and Dreamgirls."

"In story terms, its cavalcade of melodrama and conflict isn’t always persuasive, but writer-director Darnell Martin’s respect for the music shines through..."