Review of Miles Ahead (2016) by Nick C — 07 May 2016

I just came from seeing this film. The only reason I wanted to see it was Don Cheadle who, in the first film I saw him in, managed to upstage Denzel Washington.

I wanted to learn about jazz when I was in my teens. I listened to a jazz program on Sunday nights in my native Detroit. I collected a few jazz albums, including some by Davis. However, I lost interest in the form.

I am also not a huge fan of biopics but this one was fun. As I watched it, I thought of a photo of Davis with his hair in small, tight braids that was captioned, "A publicist's nightmare." I did not believe that the movie told Davis' life story. In fact, I saw it as magical realism. It was 100 Years of Solitude as the biographical film of a difficult man.

I loved it.

And, yes, I did think Ewen MacGregor's character did not work. In fact, MacGregor was terrible. However, Davis as character and enigma did work and this was a movie that meant to evoke Miles Davis. What better medium than magical realism?

I thought of the continuing saga of the absence of black talent from the Oscars. Well, Don Cheadle co-wrote, directed and starred in this film and I think it is Oscar worthy.

Why? Because it was entertaining. This is the second Oscar worthy picture I saw this year. The other was Eye in the Sky, a very different film.