Chadwick Boseman's acting, in my opinion, was excellent. I really, really, can't believe or understand why he and this movie didn't win an Academy Award. Maybe because I tend to lean more toward natural and believable acting roles than those of generally expected, predictable roles. All the actors were so good and I just watched it again on TV (CTRC) and still enjoyed it as if I was watching it for the first time. That's when you know a movie is good...that's the measuring tool. Plus James Brown's life was an interesting one, no doubt. He rose through the ashes and made something of himself, almost as if, it was just plain destiny. Even though he was treated so bad as a child, it made him the man he became and nobody can take that away...nobody.

This is a good film about one of the greatest musicians in American music history. Could it have been better? Yes, but it was still good enough to keep me interested. The story line and plot were pieced together OK but the performances were great. With performers like Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer I thought the story line and plot would be strong and very well written but I guess the main concern of this film were the performances by Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick Boseman did an excellent job portraying James Brown, from the way he talked to the way he moved on the stage, it was great. So if you want a top notched powerful film you might not necessarily get it with this one but you still won't be disappointed because the performances in this film are excellent.

Get On Up (2014): Dir: Tate Taylor / Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Craig Robinson: Music drama about extending one's abilities through hardship. James Brown was a musical icon symbolizing the best of soul. He is played to near perfection by Chadwick Boseman who, unlike John Lloyd Young in Jersey Boys, actually embodies the body, personality and energetic singing talent of James Brown. The screenplays starts with promise but falters with its back and forth disjointed presentation of flashbacks. We witness his harsh upbringing with neglect from both parents. We witness his arrest after breaking into a car and stealing a suit. It is here that he meets Nelsan Ellis who is performing in jail and is caught in the middle of a fight. He and Brown hit it off and together they embark on a music career. Dan Aykroyd plays Ben Bart who will become his manager and backer. One may remember the real James Brown performing in Aykroyd's masterpiece The Blues Brothers, which may indicate his interest in this project. Viola Davis plays Brown's mother who left when he was young and reappears back stage but to an unwelcome son who remembers the neglect. Craig Robinson plays one of the many band mates who questions Brown's controlling attitude thus causing tension. The film highlights classic performances where Boseman brings forth the screeching voice that has cemented the image of soul. Directed by Tate Taylor who previously made The Help. The screenplay cannot do justice to every key moment in the life of this entertainer but it does get on up with what made him great. Score: 8 / 10

This is the story masterfully told about the Man known as the hardest working man in show business, and be was.that and.so much more.As someone who didn't always "get" James Brown, I became a believer later in my life, and after this magnificent biopic . Agreed, it gets a tad confusing with the way it jumps back and forth, but it works like a soulful mosaic that weaves a tale that is truly the story of f the American dream. A black child who came into the world almost unwanted and jailed for a pretty crime with hard time still managed to rise above it all and became a music and entertainment legendNot all is sweetness and light with the person of James Brown, but then no one is. Regardless of all the rough edges and the sometimes coldness and ruthlessness of the Man, there is no denying the power of the legend.Other reviews called this cliché' but they are wrong. This is the way a great biopic is done. One said that breaking the fourth wall works against it, but again, not so. The very subtlety of a glance here and there packs power. Unlike The Jersey Boys, it never looks like a play on film or ever amateurish.The performances of Chadwick Bozeman and all the others shows what truly great acting is. The hard work makes it all seem seamless. I could point out individual performers in this cinematic masterpiece, but I don't think I could type that long so I hope not to lessen the contributions of any of the other exceptional acting talents here.Both Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis show exactly why they are always Oscar worthy.I just loved it, and am now a bigger James Brown fan then ever before.I must lastly say that I am glad that Boston was given (correctly) the credit for being the city in an historic moment following the assassination of. Dr. Martin Luther King when the Godfather of Soul quelled what could have been a race riot. Other films credited other cities and that was taking artistic license too far for me.Also, credit must be given to Dan Ackroyd and Mick Jagger for their participation in this great tribute.Not a perfect film, but a total joy!