I just finished watching Cadillac Records, a movie about a 1950's Chicago Blues Record label. I had no idea who Muddy Waters, Little Walter or Howlin' Wolf were so I passed on it at the theatres. I shouldn't have.
The pacing was a little choppy and at times it tried too hard to mimic Ray, Walk The Line and other recent blockbuster biopics, but save that it was Grade A. The acting was good (Wright, Beyonce and Brody were stellar), the characters had fair depth and the chemistry was off the charts. But what I liked most was it brilliantly and passionately illuminated the age old story of squandered wealth and potential.
I tell my brothers and sisters all the time that the strong have ruled the weak and the smart have ruled the stupid since the beginning of time. It won't change. Choose a side.
Well Cadillac clearly delineated the sides, sides that will never be anachronic and writ large can be applied to most of our mentalities if not our lives. On one side you had an enterprising scruffy Chicagoan who saw big opportunity, but no talent with which to realize his vision. On the other you had immensely - immensely - talented individuals with limited vision which effectively cradled an otherwise limitless path.
Well you can guess what happened when the enterprising but talentless crossed paths with the talented but self-limited??? A partnership was formed, one that produced great wealth (not riches), wealth that is still revolving today. However, the talentless was (and rightly so) all too happy to compensate the talented inline with their vision. The talented came from nothing and thought of nothing more than tomorrow and were duly compensated. The talentless came from nothing and thought of everything that could be and was duly compensated. As it is the talentless' seed will never know poverty, under education, fractiousness or blight. They will form new partnerships that exploit this loophole in natural law, while the talented meander in a world where enough for tomorrow is all they need.
Anyways, enough of my psychobabble, here's my wife (currently on loan to Jigga himself) doing a 1950's rendition of Etta James' Go Blind. It's pretty cool how great songs can sound with just the basics and a great voice.
