If you or your companion are not familiar with the name 'Chet Baker', best to get an overview prior to seeing this film. It's impact then, and the loss of Baker to the Jazz world, will make a lot more sense to you. The film focuses on a brief period in Baker's life, a period when he was unable to blow the beautifully melodic notes on his trumpet that he was famous for.
Baker in his prime was a serious challenge to the reign of the legendary Miles Davis in the eyes of some. Regrettably he had a number of issues that were not in his favour. He was white, for starters. He was addicted to street drugs. He also sang. Unlike Louis Armstrong's rough baritone though, Baker's singing was more like his trumpet playing. It was sweet, melancholy, wistful. His critics said he sang like a girl.
The film begins in mid-1968 when Baker is forced to take an unscheduled sabbatical from the music business due to a disagreement with some acquaintances, and concludes with his triumphant return at the Birdland Jazz Club in New York. One of many bios on the internet say that a performance at the Half Note Club in the early 1970s kick-started his return.
Ethan Hawke gives an admirable performance in the key role and also croons some lyrics. British born Carmen Ejogo plays Baker's smothering supportive wife and Robert Budreau from London, Ont. directs the Canadian drama. Budreau, a big fan of Baker, previously directed a well regarded short called 'The Deaths of Chet Baker'. That film is also a brief snapshot; this time of Baker's final days.
I personally laud Chet Baker's music and regret the tragic trajectory of his life, but cannot recall anything that would get me back into the theatre to see the film again. If you are not familiar with his music though, it's worth the price of admission just to hear the beautiful soundtrack. The primary musicians, by the way, are well known on the Toronto jazz scene.
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