Walk the Line (2005) -versus- Ray (2004)

Review by Bryce Zabel 

Let's see: hard times, brother dies at a young age, obscurity while only the artist believes in his music, success, stardom, too much money, romance, drugs or booze, beating the addiction, reaching a more durable stardom. That plot describes Walk the Line and Ray, take your pick.

"Show me the line and I'll walk it for you, babe."

Yes, they feel a lot like the same movie which is pretty much the arc of other musical biopics. This is probably because a lot of music success stories are the same.

Both of these films are easy to like, but there is just something about Walk the Line that makes you like it just a little bit more. I think it's because the center of Ray is about Ray Charles losing his way and cheating and the center of Walk the Line is about Johnny Cash losing his way but only because he has absolute certainty that his love for June Carter is the only thing that will mend him.

Walk the Line.  Because it's a love story, not a recovery from addiction story, and love conquers all.