Walk Hard

Director: Jake Kasdan

Starring: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Paul Rudd, Jack Black

A satire of the biopic genre, Walk Hard focuses on the life of Dewey Cox (Reilly), a man who has lived through many decades of different musical styles and must now reflect on his life backstage at an awards ceremony. After accidentally cutting his talented brother in half with a machete he made a promise to excel for both of them, a promise which has proven rather difficult to keep…

After the Oscar winning Walk the Line and Ray, Walk Hard is a refreshing look at the life of a rock star. It draws attention to the fact that such superstars also had their flaws, for example the drug taking and violence. Dewey also has some problems that are more specific to him, like his 22 kids and lack of a sense of taste! Yet never fear; these flaws are portrayed in hilarious scenes that will not only have you questioning the halo some people give music legends but also have you crying with laugher!

The role feels tailor-made for Reilly, who seems very comfortable with the outrageous dialogue, costumes and songs his character requires. The endless list of celebrity cameos is also very impressive; having Paul Rudd and Jack Black as members of The Beatles was a genius casting decision. The cast all bounce off each other fantastically which makes on-screen friendships and rivalries very convincing.

The music of Walk Hard is one of its real strong points. If you don’t pay close attention you could be fooled into thinking that the songs were actual hits from their respective time periods but if you listen closely you’ll notice the ridiculous lyrics. Full of double-entendres and spoofs they are a testimony to the attention to detail the writers paid when developing the Walk Hard story.

The film is played in a very straight manner, which only adds to the comedy. The script is reminiscent of the days of Airplane; the silly and unexpected dialogue makes Walk Hard well worth a viewing. Ultimately this is a journey of self discovery with an edge, one that fans of silly comedies and fans of the original biopic films should definitely check out!

Julia Huntenburg