Miles Ahead
DVD Review
by Kam Williams
Miles Davis
Biopic Starring Don Cheadle Comes to DVD
It's no
secret that Don Cheadle wanted to make a movie about Miles Davis
(1926-1991) for over a decade. Well, the wait is finally over for
jazz fans eager to see the warts-and-all biopic chronicling some of
the highs and lows of the legendary trumpeter's checkered career.
Cheadle not
only produced, directed, and co-wrote his labor of love, but handles
the title character in a haunting performance where he manages to
channel the spirit of Miles oh so convincingly, from the gravelly
voice to the mercurial temperament.
But while
the impersonation might be spot on, the surreal screenplay leaves a
lot to be desired. The script eschews a conventional, chronological
approach to storytelling in favor of a free form structure featuring
a series of vignettes focusing less on the man's music than his messy
private life.
The
picture's point of departure is 1975, when we find Miles in the midst
of a self-imposed, five-year break from the music business. He spends
his days barricaded in his New York apartment consuming copious
amounts of drugs to mask the pain caused by a chronic hip condition.
The plot
thickens with the intrusion into this fortress of solitude of a pushy
Rolling Stone reporter (Ewan McGregor) in search of a scoop about a
rumored comeback. Dave Braden proceeds to circumvent a very skeptical
Davis' disdain for journalists by agreeing to serve as his chauffeur
and to procure cocaine on his behalf. Unfortunately, Dave also has a
hidden agenda, namely, gaining possession of the master tape of
Miles' next album, if it exists.
Meanwhile,
the icon is conveniently given to reminiscing about his past, which
allows for intermittent flashbacks, most about his tempestuous
relationship with his first wife, Frances (Emayatzy Corinealdi). Too
bad Miles' impressive body of work is given short shrift. except for
the handful of classics on the soundtrack.
An
improvisational cinematic portrait of a jazz giant whose prodigious
cultural contributions play second fiddle to a plethora of his
personal failings.
Very Good (3
stars)
Rated R for drug use, nudity,
sexuality, brief violence and pervasive profanity
Running time: 100 minutes
Studio: Crescendo Productions
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