Miles Ahead (2015)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Miles Ahead (2015) – D. Cheadle

Not really a bio-pic of Miles Davis – but what is it?  Some kind of bizarre buddy-action-comedy starring Don Cheadle as Miles and Ewen McGregor as a Rolling Stone reporter-wannabe trying to get a story.  Davis is in his burnt-out period (1975-1980), not happy, not friendly, high on coke most of the time, holed up in his NY bachelor pad/home studio, not making music.  The plot involves some stolen session tapes and the impression a young up-and-coming trumpeter has on evil Miles.  There are flashbacks to earlier happier times (but still Davis rarely smiles).  He’s acerbic even then but he’d found love (Emayatzy Corinealdi as Frances Davis née Taylor) and then threw it all away (drugs, cheating, etc.).  The world of jazz looks pretty messed up and then there is also racism with which to contend.  Cheadle directs with a certain flair but it’s hard not to see that this fiction is a bit overcooked.  Still, there is enough music by the real Miles floating across the soundtrack to make things enjoyable from a sonic perspective.  The inevitable glowing interviews on the DVD feature Davis family members singing the trumpeter’s praises – but what movie were they watching?