Cadillac Records is well worth the price of the movie ticket, with a host of power house performances, most notably by Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def and Beyonce. But what struck me about the film was that in the pivetol scene between Beyonce, who plays tortured songstress Etta James and Adrien Brody, who plays Chess Records Founder, Leonard Chess, the chemistry appears stale and forced. I got my hands on the original script and sources close to me say that the scene was deliberately “watered down” because Knowles shyed away from doing a raw love scene with Brody. Where we should have gotten a strung out Etta looking for a “daddy figure” in Chess and an emotionally intense love scene, full of unbridled passion as Chess declares his undying love for Etta, we get the Disney version of Halle Berry’s break-out performance in Monsters Ball. This sugar-coated cop-out version leaves the viewer wondering what, if anything, was left on the editing room floor. Is this fall-out from Beyonce’s newly married status? As Beyonce shakes her booty on stage and proudly waves her ring finger warning all single ladies to “Put a Ring on it”, we wonder if Hovah, now that he has wifey, is pulling the strings behind the scenes. Could this cost Ms. Knowles-Carter her Oscar moment? Only box office numbers will tell.

“Cadillac Records” rolls into theat

Lelani Clark

ers Friday, December 5th.