Who Do You Love Review
By David Kempler
I Can't Feel the Love
Last year, "Cadillac Records" told the story of Chess Records. For some reason, it's being told again, albeit centering upon a slightly different timeframe of the company. The
why is unimportant.
This year's version, "Who Do You Love", features Alessadro Nivola as Leonard Chess, the Jewish night club owner who became a music pioneer by creating a label for black performers in the Chicago area. Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley were among his many "finds". Director Jerry Zaks has attempted to fashion a feel-good family view of the famed label. Whether it was really like that is impossible to know, but it couldn't possibly have been this much of a happy story.
Leonard and his brother, Phil (Jon Abrahams), run a business that is fairly successful, but Leonard loves hanging out in bars where blacks are the main acts. Soon he convinces his brother to buy a similar bar. Then he convinces him to start a record label. Phil almost need not exist; Leonard is always in charge.
There are two huge positives for "Who Do You Love". The first is the music, which is lively and well presented. The second is the job that Chi McBride does as Willie Dixon. If not for McBride, the whole thing would have collapsed, even with the outstanding music. Nivola and Abrahams don't pull it off as the Chess Brothers. Nivola's Leonard substitutes catchy phrases and over-the-top mannerisms in order to gain the trust of the musicians and it's hard to believe they would have fallen for anyone who talked to them in such a way.
"Who Do You Love" isn't worth catching in theaters. Television would be just fine for this one. When it comes on, pump up the volume and take care of what you need to take care of around the house. The music is worth listening to, but aside from McBride there's not much worth looking at.
