Starring: Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michael Stuhlbarg
Miles Ahead
Director: Don Cheadle
Rating: 3.5/5
Each year we see a host actors turn their hand to directing for the first time... this week, Don Cheadle makes his feature film directorial debut with Miles Ahead.
Miles Ahead is a biopic of legendary jazz musician Miles Davis and sees Cheadle take on the central role as well as be in the director's chair. He has also had a hand in penning the film's screenplay.
All Rolling Stone reporter Dave Braden (McGregor) wants is an exclusive interview with the jazz legend himself, Miles Davis (Cheadle). What he gets instead is a wild and dangerous ride-along with a recording artist living at his edge, rife with shootouts, car chases, and a tale of lost love to the singer Frances (Corinealdi).
This is not your traditional biopic movie but that does not mean that Cheadle has not delivered a movie that is engaging and engrossing. If you are looking for a film that chronicles his career from start to finish, this is perhaps not the movie for you.
Miles Davis was an artist who was incredibly unconventional and Cheadle has delivered a movie that reflects what he was like as an artist. This is more of an abstract movie that does tend to blur the lines between real life and fiction.
I have always been a big fan of Cheadle as an actor and he delivers another terrific performance in the central role. Not only does he get under his skin and explores this character, he also delivers a performance that pays homage to this musical great.
There's something captivating and truly magnetic about Cheadle's performance as he shows the many sides of this fascinating character.
If you are looking for a movie that explores Miles Davis' career and really delves into his life story, you will be left a little disappointed as Miles Ahead is not that kind of film.
However, Cheadle has managed to capture the volatile and unpredictable nature of this brilliant musician; which, for me, was just as interesting.
There's no doubt that Miles Ahead is a movie that will not be for everyone and the style with which Cheadle has delivered this biopic film may leave some fans of this genre a little disappointed.
With Miles Ahead, Cheadle has shown that he is a filmmaker who is ready and willing to take creative risks... and that can only be exciting as he moves forward as a filmmaker.
Miles Ahead is out now.
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