#milesahead

“Miles Ahead”, a passion-project by actor/director Don Cheadle, follows a Rolling Stone writer (Ewan McGregor) who takes an unexpected adventure with Miles Davis, getting a deeper look into the very complex and shielded artist in all of his unexpectedness. Through this fictional framing device, the film brings the audience throughout the crazed-nature of the flawed musician, showing flashbacks of his past with his first-love, Frances Davis, and the things that led to his fractured and lonely life in 1970.

Cheadle uses a very unorthodox way of tackling the traditional biopic. Similar to the framing device of “Jackie”, the use of the writer and interview allows the audience to see snippets of Davis’s life that lead up to what is happening in the story. Cheadle’s directing choices allow for a more focused lens into who Davis is as a person and human being, not a caricature of jazz history. Every flaw is blatantly obvious, but even more vivid is his love and compassion for both jazz and his wife Frances.

As a fan of everything Miles Davis, getting to hear his soundtrack throughout the film was wonderful. As the story progresses, and you see flashbacks of his life, you get to hear excerpts from albums “Kind of Blue” all the way to “Bitches Brew”. It helped show not only time passing in Davis’s career, but how he revolutionized himself in the music industry, and the art of jazz.

Most notable are the performances in the film, which exceed the story itself. Don Cheadle plays Miles with beautiful skill and attention to detail, not making one misstep in capturing the gritty, gravelly voiced Davis. Every part spit-fire, aggressor, musician, and lover, Davis is fully re-incarnated thanks to the work Cheadle puts into fleshing out his passion-project. Ewan McGregor also does a wonderful job at creating a hilarious reporter with true wit and incredulousness towards the often-crazed Davis. He is as surprised by Davis as we are, and takes us on the journey as a fellow spectator to the jazz legend himself.

Go and see this fantastic art-house flick. A film worthy of its praise, “Miles Ahead” is a fantastic looking glass into the incredible but fractured life of the jazz idol, Miles Davis.