Entertainment

CAN’T LOSE WITH THESE BLUES

A great ensemble cast and a terrific, blues-oriented ’50s soundtrack make “Cadillac Records” a treat despite a script that crams in almost as many musical bio-pic clichés as the spoof “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”

Booze, drugs and various forms of corruption and racism pop up like clockwork in the loosely factual script by director Darnell Martin, who returns to theatrical features after years of working mostly in TV following her much-praised debut, “I Like It Like That” (1994).

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Fortunately, Martin has been more successful in rounding up a top-notch cast to play Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) and his top acts at the hugely influential Chess Records, which he founded with brother Phil in Chicago in 1947.

The wonderful Jeffrey Wright is most prominent as Chess’ first star and close friend Muddy Waters, whose life as depicted here – Gabrielle Union plays his often cheated-on wife – was considerably more stable than those of his peers.

Little Walter (Columbus Short), who often records with Waters, is the most self-destructive of the bunch, goading racist cops into beating him.

Not much further behind is the drug-befuddled Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles, far better than in “Dreamgirls”), who has been given an invented love affair with Chess (who has his own long-suffering wife, played by Emmanuelle Chriqui).

James – whose haunting “At Last” is a ubiquitous presence on movie soundtracks – is one of Chess’ big crossover artists.

Even bigger is rock pioneer Chuck Berry – a smashing Mos Def – who gets hauled off to jail at the peak of his career for transporting under-aged girls across state lines.

And finally, the film’s most memorable performance is by Eamonn Walker, who is scarily good as the singer known as Howlin’ Wolf.

The film touches lightly on how the somewhat sleazy Chess (seen paying off deejay Alan Freed, who pops up briefly in the person of Eric Bogosian) cheats his stars, though in the movie, at least, he gifts each of them with a Cadillac.

Performer and composer Willie Dixon, briefly portrayed by Cedric the Entertainer (who also delivers the voice-over narration), successful sued Chess’ estate after taking over his company following Chess’ premature death.

Most of the actors perform wonderful re-creations of the original song that give “Cadillac Records” entertainment value well beyond the hackneyed story lines.

CADILLAC RECORDS Quite an earful. Running time: 108 minutes. Rated R (violence, sex, profanity, drugs) At the Empire, the 19th St. East, the Loews Village, others.