Dave Braden (Ewan McGregor) is a music reporter looking for a story and so he decides to try and interview famous jazz musician Miles Davis (Don Cheadle) however Davis has been out of the limelight for a number of years and lives in isolation dealing with a traumatic past with painkillers and drugs. While at first being hostile to Braden, Davis needs an ally in order to retrieve some recording of new material which he believes the record company have stolen and so he reluctantly agrees to allow Braden tag along but Braden is unaware just how unbalanced Davis has become which leads to some very dangerous situations for both men. The tape in question is being used by an unscrupulous manager Harper Hamilton (Michael Stuhlbarg) who wants to utilise the recording to increase the profile of Junior (Keith Stanfield) a younger talent on his books and although this particular plot line is fiction the rest of the movie feels like it’s a work of non-fiction set in the era around Davis’ self-retirement during the mid-seventies and told in a flashback style as memories are triggered bringing Davis back to times and places in his life.

The camera style which often drifts in and out of focus without warning and often is placed or aimed in conventionally strange places which gives a great feel of imbalance which ties in nicely with the lead characters mind set and credit must go for presenting a ‘warts and all’ type tale as Cheadle does not hold back on showing Davis as a nasty piece of work at times. He brandishes a gun, swears and threatens his way through conversations and the treatment of his girlfriend/wife Frances Taylor (Emayatzy Corinealdi) is nothing short of abusive but this all works towards showing the darkness behind the genius and her performance matches either of the leads, played with a strength but also tenderness as she falls deeper in love with Davis and gives up more and more aspects of her own life in order to satisfy his growing needs and instability until a moment of breaking when the reality of her situation kicks in.

Cheadle both stars and produces in a pet project and does a very good job with a gruff, almost whispering voice and his portrayal of the musicians self-loathing is in stark contrast to the prima-donna type behaviour he fronts to his willing entourage of yes men who look beyond the awful character he can be. While there were a few too many moments where the lead interactions left me feeling like I was watching a seventies cop show as the two leads chase down the elusive recording, their interaction was still very good and added to the feel of the desperation of both characters as they put themselves in dangers way time and time again, Braden for his story and Davis for what he seen as his redemption. While I would not be a fan of Davis I still enjoyed this look into the mind and working of a musical genius for which Cheadle deserves credit for.

DJ Speaks Rating: 6 Out Of 10