See it at the Movies

MILES AHEAD

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(Two looks into

Miles Davis’ life)

Don Cheadle has brought the violent, sad life of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis to life in an indie film that he wrote, produced, directed and starred in.

Cheadle plays Davis as a young, upcoming musician of the ’50s and as a tired, pitiful character of the late ’70s trying to make a comeback. The movie transitions back and forth at critical moments, telegraphing the time change by Davis’ short hair and long unkempt hair.

It is a masterful performance, with Cheadle playing Davis so well that you quickly learn not to like this self-centered, Chauvinistic, violent man. And that is one of the problems with this intense look at this complicated genius of jazz. We just didn’t like him.

If you are a jazz fan, there’s great music throughout, and a look behind the scenes at a sometimes shady music industry.

Davis gets messed up with drugs, booze and painkillers. He marries an up-and-coming dancer, forces her to quit her profession and be his full-time wife, while he continues his promiscuous lifestyle.

Moving the story along is Dave Braden (Ewan McGregor), a reporter who forces his way into Davis’ world and ends up at his end through a series of violent incidents, as the two try to recover a stolen tape that Davis considers his great comeback.

See the movie for the great jazz music and Oscar-worthy performance by Cheadle. Just do not expect to like the man.

Rated R, with profanity, sex, nudity, violence, drug use and constant smoking.

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