Miles Ahead ,2015.
Directed by Don Cheadle.
Starring Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michael Stuhlbarg and Keith Stanfield.
SYNOPSIS:
With a string of successful albums behind him and legions of fans clamouring for more, trumpeter and composer Miles Davis has disappeared from public view. His inspiration has dried up and there’s nothing he can do except wait for it to return. But his absence hasn’t gone unnoticed and a journalist from Rolling Stone appears on his doorstep, in search of the inside story. And when a record company manages to get its hands on a tape of some recent sessions, the two of them set out to retrieve it. It’s an experience that takes Davis into his past and the influences on his music.
Had he lived, it would have been Miles Davis’ 90th birthday next month. He actually only made it to the ripe old age of 65, something of a miracle if what we see in Don Cheadle’s Miles Ahead is correct: the obligatory drink and drugs, the chain-smoking, the punch-ups and even a dodgy hip (the result of a fight with his wife). Not that I’m doubting Cheadle’s research: it’s a project that’s been part of his life for the best part of ten years. It’s because this is something of a magical mystery tour of the life and music of Miles Davis.
If you’re unfamiliar with his music, Miles Ahead might sound like a trite pun of a title. Actually, it’s the name of one of his albums and the track itself makes an appearance in the film, alongside many others. The music is all-pervasive and hardly ever stops, either in the foreground or background, sometimes a perfect match, sometimes more of a distraction. We may not need constant reminders that we’re watching a film about one of the finest jazz musicians ever, but there’s no doubting that it’s one heck of a soundtrack.
Cheadle is the powerhouse behind all this: director, producer, writer, actor and occasional composer all rolled into one. At the start of the film, his Davis rebukes Rolling Stone journalist Dave Braden (Ewan McGregor) with “if you’re gonna tell a story, come with some attitude,” probably the most quotable line in the movie. It’s also what Cheadle has set out to do and, to a great extent, he’s succeeded.
Yes, it’s a biopic, but it doesn’t follow all of his life. As the credits roll, we see his birth date but not that of his death in 1991. His music will last for ever, even if the man himself didn’t. The narrative definitely has attitude as it ricochets back and forth from one episode to another. Once you get used to this, you realise you just have to roll with some of the scenes because, when you see them, they don’t make immediate sense. Trust me, they will. And Davis moves smoothly between the present and the past, sometimes with real wit and invention. Watch how he opens a lift door to find himself on a stage at the start of his career.
Davis is haunted by one particular memory, his wife Frances (Emayatzy Corinealdi). In reality, she was the first of three and their was the marriage that lasted the longest. We never see the other two. She was also his muse and inspiration and, as far as the film is concerned, her departure triggers his reclusive years. It’s another instance of Cheadle mixing fact with artistic license, but in the context of the film it’s completely credible. In fact, unless you’re a Davis aficionado, you won’t know for sure what’s true and what’s been created for the movie, which makes it all the more intriguing. It’s a riff on the biopic and a riff on the life of Davis himself. Or, at least, part of it.
As Davis, Don Cheadle has never been better, with the rasping voice, an ill-disguised contempt for just about everybody else and an obsession with music. It’s a performance that dominates the film and the only one who comes close to him is Corinealdi as Frances, who gives up her dancing career to be with him but, ultimately, can’t cope with his erratic and sometimes violent behaviour.
Miles Ahead is a film made with love, respect and passion. It may not always hit the right note every single time – Davis probably wouldn’t have wanted it to – but it does work as a reflection on the chaos that was his life and his mind. And lovers of his music can sit back and simply wallow.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Freda Cooper. Follow me on Twitter, check out my movie blog and listen to my podcast, Talking Pictures.
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https://youtu.be/b7Ozs5mj5ao?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published April 21, 2016. Updated November 13, 2019.
