I am big of both Miles Davis and Don Cheadle. Biopics are difficult to get right and I was encouraged when I learned that Cheadle would direct and only focus on a part of Davis' life - and an interesting one at that. The film overall is uneven and disappointing but does succeed in capturing the allure and eccentricities of Davis.
I had a hard time believing the plot to steal and recover the tapes. I don't recall reading this in his autobiography but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It seemed silly and not befitting a jazz great to have his life boil down to a cops and robbers chase in the alley.
Cheadle, the actor, captured the essence of Davis but struggled to anchor the film's narrative. The flashback scenes were gratuitous and inaccurate. Davis was beaten by a cop on 52nd Street not outside the Village Vanguard. The poster outside the Vanguard says he is playing with Red Garland but they Bill Evans playing piano inside. Stuff like that kills the movie for a real lover of Davis' work. I do think the filmmaker really captured the relationship with Frances correctly. That was haunting and beautiful and my guess is that it should have been the focus of the whole movie.
I had a hard time believing the plot to steal and recover the tapes. I don't recall reading this in his autobiography but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It seemed silly and not befitting a jazz great to have his life boil down to a cops and robbers chase in the alley.
Cheadle, the actor, captured the essence of Davis but struggled to anchor the film's narrative. The flashback scenes were gratuitous and inaccurate. Davis was beaten by a cop on 52nd Street not outside the Village Vanguard. The poster outside the Vanguard says he is playing with Red Garland but they Bill Evans playing piano inside. Stuff like that kills the movie for a real lover of Davis' work. I do think the filmmaker really captured the relationship with Frances correctly. That was haunting and beautiful and my guess is that it should have been the focus of the whole movie.