(SPOILER WARNING!!! This article does contain spoilers, if you haven’t seen the movie, just see the first paragraph to be informed without spoilers!!!)

Miles Ahead may be choppy, but it is an interesting take on Miles Davis and Don Cheadle captures his essence.

Rating 3 Stars

I’m not a fan of jazz music, but I know how significant Miles Davis was to jazz. The trailer caught my interest not only because Don Cheadle was playing the the legendary musician, but also because it’s his first time directing a movie. After watching Miles Ahead, I see some good signs, but he’s got some room for improvement.

What I Like:

I thought Don Cheadle’s performance as Miles Davis was superb. He captured his raspy voice and character very well. I know it’s not easy for him to act with that raspy voice. (I tried it and my throat was itchy after 2 minutes.) His mannerisms in the movie were fun to watch. Cheadle immersed himself in the role making the movie an enjoyable watch. If you want to watch this movie for one thing, watch it for his acting as the great Miles Davis. The soundtrack will also resonate with Miles Davis fans.

The So So:

The story of this movie really focused on the latter part of his career where he pretty much was a wreck. He’s trying to make a comeback in the music game, but keeps getting held up by drugs and his pride. I liked how the movie portrayed his craziness and how he acts with his surroundings. He can either be very funny or intimidating. Probably the funniest scene was when he almost shot somebody to get what he wants. I wished the movie showed more about his career as a great jazz musician. They did show it in spurts, but not enough. Instead he was developed as a crazy guy that fell off in his career. Most of the movie is about him getting his film of his recently produced music back from a shady record man. Of course, it sets up the final scene where he finally gets the film that he would give his life for and it wasn’t much. However, it was meaningful to him and it was the first step to his comeback. I liked the editing of this film in a scene where Davis was in the middle of the street and a band showed up playing music fading in and out in a cool dream sequence.

What I Didn’t Like:

Don Cheadle has a lot of potential as director. However, he needs to make this movie flow better. The choppiness, especially at the beginning of this movie, really threw me off and took me a while to get on track with the story. I wish it had better transitions to flashbacks to avoid confusion. I believe Cheadle be a better director and learn from his mistakes with this movie.

Overall:

If you’re a fan of Miles Davis you will enjoy the music factor. I wish they portrayed him more on the positive side of his life, but it shows how real this movie really is about the hard times Davis had to endure. Don Cheadle starred in a great performance and was a decent direcor. One thing is for sure, the fans will enjoy the final performance in this movie when Davis finally made his comeback!!!

Rating: 3 Stars