★★★½ (3½ out of 4)
It seems bizarre to me now that the only actor to win an Oscar for “Walk the Line” was Reese Witherspoon. No knock on her lovely performance as June Carter Cash in James Mangold’s 2005 biopic. But there’s no way to watch Joaquin Phoenix play “Man in Black” Johnny Cash in this look at country legends without namechecking Phoenix as the film’s center of gravity. Witherspoon had less competition, while Phoenix was up against Heath Ledger at his peak in “Brokeback Mountain.” Ledger didn’t win either, the Oscar going to the undeniable Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Capote.” Phoenix did join Witherspoon in the Golden Globe winner’s circle, but when I saw Phoenix finally win his Oscar for “Joker,” my thoughts still returned to how damn flabbergastingly good he was as Cash.