Get On Up

"The Funk Don't Quit"

2014 2h 19m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 590

DramaMusicHistory

Synopsis

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A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.

“The Funk Don't Quit”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Chadwick Boseman
James Brown
Nelsan Ellis
Bobby Byrd
Dan Aykroyd
Ben Bart
Viola Davis
Susie Brown
Lennie James
Joe Brown
Fred Melamed
Syd Nathan
Jill Scott
DeeDee Brown
Octavia Spencer
Aunt Honey

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tate Taylor
Writers: John-Henry Butterworth, Jez Butterworth, Steven Baigelman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 12 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Tate Taylor, shot by Stephen Goldblatt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Thomas Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michael McCusker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Chadwick Boseman and Nelsan Ellis and Dan Aykroyd carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Funk Don't Quit".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2473602 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tate Taylor directs. Stephen Goldblatt behind the camera. Thomas Newman scores. Michael McCusker cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 12 years ago.
2Directed by Tate Taylor, shot by Stephen Goldblatt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Thomas Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Michael McCusker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Chadwick Boseman and Nelsan Ellis and Dan Aykroyd carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The Funk Don't Quit".
7IMDB entry: tt2473602 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 13 themes, including "vietnam war", "1970s", "biography", "south carolina".

The technical file

Cinematography: Stephen Goldblatt
Original score: Thomas Newman
Editing: Michael McCusker
Production design: Mark Ricker
Costume design: Sharen Davis
Sound: Jason King
Stunt coordinator: Lex D. Geddings
Runtime: 139 min · 2h 19m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $30,000,000
Box office: $33,448,971
Return: 111% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Get On Up (2014)

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Tate Taylor

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2020-10-25
★ 7/10
Chadwick Boseman is terrific, but <em>'Get on Up'</em> is missing something that would make it a great biopic. I still very much enjoyed it, I always tend to find biographical films interesting - especially when I don't know too much about the person(s) in question, as is the case with James Brown here; I've always known of him and his major songs, but that's about it. Boseman leads strongly, carrying the film really. That's not to say he's alone in terms of the onscreen talent, as there are others who I liked. Dan Aykroyd is solid, while Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis are welcomed cast members. The brilliant Lennie James is also involved, admittedly in a relatively small role. With all that noted, I just felt there was something missing. I can't exactly pinpoint what that is. One of the things I felt from the start was the lack of likeability I had for the lead character, perhaps that was intentional though. The 'breaking the fourth wall' stuff is iffy, too. The 139 run time probably comes into it as well, while the ageing for Boseman & Co. isn't the best I've seen - which isn't good, given the film opens with a scene that requires ageing so it naturally stuck in my memory more. As also mentioned at the top, I didn't come into this knowing all about James Brown and his music/life so that likely plays a part - though I've seen other biopics under similar circumstances and it hasn't affected my enjoyment. There are still other positives, aside from the cast, of course. I actually liked the non-linear structure of how the story is told, while the cinematography is pleasant. The music is also worked in well. All in all, it's a film that I would recommend. It had all the ingredients to be grander though.

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