# Miles Ahead



## Belowpar

I think a new music film deserves it’s own thread.

Miles Ahead is a new ‘based on a real person’ film. This jumps around between the time when Miles was making his name, recording Sketches of Spain and mostly trying to find a place in a world dominated by rock music in the late 70’s when his main interest in life appears to be the wrong kind of scoring.

Timescales are muddled so that the divorce from his wife, in reality 10 years earlier, is suggested as the cause of long period of inactivity. In reality as far as I can see, he continued to work live but recordings did dry up. Events are selected but as suggested above it lacks a clear narrative. The police brutality whilst shocking doesn’t really fit in? On the other hand the fight with his wife is filmed in a way that doesn’t reflect the reality of physical abuse. But it is a warts and all to the extent that it shows the coke fiend Miles was not an easy person to deal with. I just felt the plot lacked a compelling narrative and may have been better if they had dropped the contrived story involving a stolen tape and decided if it was a film about a genius struggling to cope with a changing world or just another dope fiend flic.

ON the plus side Don Cheadle as Miles is fantastic; although the actor is NOT as good looking or cool as the real thing was. AS Director, Cheadle, does a fine job but was perhaps a little to in love with his leading actor, Cheadle? The settings and ambience are always well observed and certainly satisfied me (I was never there!). Also the film gives major dues to Gil Evans, something Miles could be slow to do. 

I went with my wife and daughter who are not Jazz aficionados. They both said they enjoyed it but the conversation after very quickly changed to other subjects.
Overall I’m afraid I think it is essential for Miles fans but of limited interest to the general public.

Interested to hear what others make of it.


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## Heliogabo

As a Davis fan I'm looking forward to see it. Even if I saw the trailer and didn't like it. People who doesn't know the character may think he was a gangster, not a musician.


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## CDs

I saw _Miles Ahead_ and I was disappointed. I guess I was looking more for a true to life biopic. The stolen tape? Didn't get that. I agree with OP that Don Cheadle did a great job as Miles Davis but with such a fascinating figure as Miles Davis was the movie didn't do him any justice.


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## Belowpar

So a week after we are all together in the car, Janacek in the CD. Daughter (mid 20's) recoils in horror and looks in the glove box.

Pulls out Kind of Blue and says "let's try this".

She kept in on for two play through. Maybe, just maybe.


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## Morimur

Biopics generally leave a lot to be desired. Miles is a great subject but the film doesn't do him justice.


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## Figleaf

Belowpar said:


> So a week after we are all together in the car, Janacek in the CD. Daughter (mid 20's) recoils in horror and looks in the glove box.
> 
> Pulls out Kind of Blue and says "let's try this".
> 
> She kept in on for two play through. Maybe, just maybe.


That's quite an accessible album for newbies, I think. I have it and enjoy it, and this is out of a collection of maybe a dozen jazz albums, two dozen at most. Late Miles I don't 'get' and have never owned.


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## Dr Johnson

Belowpar said:


> So a week after we are all together in the car, Janacek in the CD. Daughter (mid 20's) recoils in horror and looks in the glove box.
> 
> Pulls out *Kind of Blue* and says "let's try this".
> 
> She kept in on for two play through. Maybe, just maybe.


I agree with Figleaf about KOB's accessibility.

"..one of the most famous, influential and most loved albums in jazz history." Ian Carr, _Jazz, The Rough Guide._

Worth trying *In A Silent Way* next?


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## Wood

Sometimes I find KoB bland, other times it is completely absorbing. I'm not sure if it is great or mediocre.


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## CDs

Wood said:


> Sometimes I find KoB bland, other times it is completely absorbing. I'm not sure if it is great or mediocre.


I feel the same way about KoB. But I'm probably more on the "absorbing" side most of the time.
I find Miles to be such a interesting musician. I mean his catalog varies so much that almost every album differs from the next. He took chances and did what he wanted even if the record execs disapproved.
I've been enjoying _The Man with the Horn_ from 1981.


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