[yasr_overall_rating]
An exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis.
Don Cheadle directs and stars in this mind-blowing, trippy story about Miles Davis’ comeback in 1980 after a 5 year hiatus from writing and recording new music. Through a series of flashbacks, he explores the history of Miles Davis’ evolution from little known club performer to Jazz legend. Ewan McGregor rides along as “Rolling Stone” magazine freelance writer Dave Brill. While the film makes a strong case that Davis’ music can’t always be categorized, the storyline becomes a twisting set of contrasts between 1980 and the earlier years in Davis’ career and personal life.
Much of the focus rests on Davis’ sometimes volatile personality and his startling lack of concern for anyone but himself. Cheadle nails the breathy voice and quirky mood shifts Davis often displayed in interviews. His performance carries the film as the major plot, surrounding a reel to reel tape of Davis’ most recent recordings, develops quickly and remains fast and furious. McGregor tags along as a hapless reporter turned heavy, not out of choice, but out of circumstance. He’s good as the reporter, but lets Cheadle do his thing, remaining at the center of the film. Emayatzy Corinealdi gives an excellent turn as Davis’ former wife, Frances Taylor. She allows the audience to feel the sacrifice and betrayal Taylor must have felt while enduring Davis’ many infidelities and persistent drug use. Michael Stuhlberg brings the appropriate sleaziness to music promoter (Harper Hamilton). Lakeith Lee Stanfield essentially plays a naive version of himself, even using his own name for the character he plays. Stanfield’s effectiveness shows in his ability to display cunning and naïveté at the same time. He’s manipulated by Hamilton, but has the musical talent to make all the trouble he goes through worthwhile.
Steven Baigelman and Cheadle collaborate on a script which shows Davis’ personal flaws, but seems to ignore the depth to which his drug use and philandering affected his musical career. Davis’ genius as an artist is on full display, but the art itself seems to come from a quirky personality more than anything else. While the film makes no judgments, it presents the audience with some real tough decisions to make about Davis the man vs. Davis the artist. The script excels at bringing the dialogue into clear focus and allowing each actor to shine through the quality material. It can be jarring, however, when flashbacks seem to come out of nowhere and often interrupt key elements of Davis and Brills’ search for the reel to reel. A perceptive audience gets rewarded by how these moving parts fit together.
Robert Glasper’s score complements well the array of songs pieced together throughout the film. Cinematographer Roberto Schaefer uses camera angles and filming elements straight out of the 1970’s Hollywood playbook, evoking a period most of the audience will easily remember. It bears mentioning that art director Korey Washington, set director Helen Britten, costume designer Gersha Phillips and production designer Hannah Beachler create elements of color, background, and tone which are absolutely necessary in evoking the periods this film takes us through. All these elements are perfectly synchronized as each period comes alive on screen. Cheadle and the production team have put together a group of professionals who strike just the right balance for telling this story.
While Cheadle excels at communication through facial expression and movement, his version of Davis comes across as quirky at best and psychotic at worst. “Miles Ahead’s” exploration of his mind and talent really is quite a trip, but Davis remains mysterious, barely under control of his own actions much as his music evinced a sound of controlled chaos, boundless in energy. Maybe that has been the point all along.
In select theaters April 15th
