Get On Up

Tate Taylor’s new James Brown biopic ‘Get On Up’, co-produced by Mick Jagger, sees Chadwick Boseman play the Godfather of Soul.

James Brown was born in poverty in Elko, South Carolina, abandoned by his mother in childhood, and imprisoned for robbery whilst still a teenager. In spite of all this, he went on to become an international superstar, recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the ten greatest musicians of all time.

The risk in making a biopic about Brown is that, on paper, his life story so closely resembles the rags-to-riches narrative beloved by Hollywood that there is little scope for originality. Predictability and crass sentimentality are always just a step away. Yet, director Tate Taylor’s ( Pretty Ugly People ) new film, which was co-produced by none other than Mick Jagger, manages for the most part to avoid these pitfalls. 

This is thanks not only to the John-Henry and Jez Butterworth's scriptwriting, which is once again excellent, but also to Chadwick Boseman's performance in the lead role. Until his performance as Jackie Robinson in last year's 42, Boseman was a relatively unknown, but now his career is going from strength to strength.

Get On Up  has a certain energetic irreverence to it, and Taylor is unafraid to show Brown at his most narcissistic and depraved. The film opens, for instance, with the singer as an old man, high on narcotics, brandishing a rifle at a group of insurance agents. Boseman’s physicality also helps to create this energy; his mastery of Brown’s mannerisms and signature dance moves is genuinely impressive.

Whilst by no means ground-breaking, this biopic is hugely enjoyable, and a particularly strong performance from relative newcomer Boseman makes it a highly recommended watch.