GET ON UP (2014) *** Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Lennie James, Craig Robinson, Jill Scott, Octavia Spencer (Cameos: Alllison Janney & John Benjamin Hickey) Boseman gives it his all totally embodying The Godfather of Soul, James Brown in this otherwise routine and misdirected biopic from director Tate Taylor (who does a yeoman's job at best) and a half-baked screenplay by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth & Steven Baigelman that pogos back in time in a relatively non-linear schism that falters largely in not showing the creative process of who Brown was but instead the man's demons and struggles in becoming The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, warts and all. Lip-synching to the late, great pioneer of r&b Boseman has the man's mannerisms, vocalizations and physiognomy down pact (until the negligible make-up in his later years) particularly in his greatest hits dancing like a slab of butter on a hot skillet and singing as if his very life depended on it. The stock cast is largely wasted except for Elwood Blues (I mean Aykroyd) as Brown's manager and father-figure-of-sorts; go figure. While we get glimpses of what the man was we by no means get the full picture of what truly made him a performer's performer which is a crying shame.

The movie starts by jumping around James Brown (Chadwick Boseman)'s life. As a boy, his mother ran off and his father is abusive. He's also a handful. He gets imprisoned for stealing a suit. Bobby Byrd (Nelsan Ellis) meets him while performing a gospel in prison. Bobby helps him get out of prison. They become The Famous Flames after jumping up on stage while Little Richard is on break.

Much of the praise centers on Chadwick Boseman's performance. He does a nice performance in all aspects of the character. It's not exactly perfect mimicry. It's more about the spirit of the performance. There is a power about James Brown that isn't exactly at the same level. The plot is basic modern biopic structure. James Brown is simply a womanizing driven pre-destine persona that is build by the troubles in his life. I would have liked a more complex character with more imaginative originality. The best drama centers around the relationship between James Brown and Bobby Byrd. Of course, there is the great music. That is a given for a James Brown biopic.

The James Brown biography "Get on Up" is a very long movie. It stays slightly under 2.5 hours, but did like it needed to be shortened at any point at all. It's very entertaining and worth a watch from start to finish. The director Tate Taylor, originally an actor, you may not know too much about other than that he was also responsible for "The Help" not too long ago. You will find Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in smaller roles here too. Davis plays Brown's mother and shines in her small screen time. Spencer is his aunt, but does not really have very much to work with. She is okay with what she is given.

It is yet to be determined if this film will go completely under the radar during awards season or possible be as successful as the likes of "Dreamgirls", "Ray" or "Chicago". Chadwick Boseman absolutely deserves lots of credit for his performance here. He makes the film from start to finish. Another highlight was Nelsan Ellis playing Brown's best friend. You may know him from "True Blood". Quality performance he delivers here.

The writing is pretty good too. Let me emphasize two scenes that depict Brwon's development as person very well: 1) When he slowly rises to stardom and gets a limousine from his record label, he says he won't need a chauffeur as he is gonna drive himself. Later on, we see he has one. The music industry quickly managed to devour him.

2) It seems he became almost exactly his father. When his mom and dad argue aggressively early on, they reunite right away afterward and have makeup sex without really talking about the problem. When James is grown up, there is a scene where he completely loses his temper and destroys a telephone. He and his wife don't get along so well, but they "solve" the issues just like his parents did. We also see several scenes where we witness him being as aggressive as his dad.

As a whole, it is a nothing truly great, but a film that makes certainly a good watch if you are interested in James Brown's life. Of course you get some grand music and interesting references (Rolling Stones, Martin Luther King...) and even if it is not a comedy, you will find occasionally some humor in here. I smiled a lot.