Miles Ahead

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: April 1, 2016

6.3	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Ratings

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ThegodfathersonApr 1, 2016

The music, the acting, the pacing, the cinematography is pitch perfect. Don Cheadle is electrifying in this unforgettable and excellent drama. Miles Ahead is a film that showcases the soulful filmmaking capable by Don Cheadle and it sets anThe music, the acting, the pacing, the cinematography is pitch perfect. Don Cheadle is electrifying in this unforgettable and excellent drama. Miles Ahead is a film that showcases the soulful filmmaking capable by Don Cheadle and it sets an example of great cinema for ages to come. Beautiful acting, great pacing of story, near flawless direction. Excellent, speechless to say anything else I will leave you with the task to watch the film immediately.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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smiyamotJul 20, 2016

For true fans, wanting to know why an artist disappeared for 5 years would be a Holy Grail quest. Unfortunately, for the casual movie goer, not so much. Let's see, drugs, women, the usual.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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bobmeierMay 21, 2016

It's hard to think of a subject more rich than Miles Davis music or his incredible life. There's enough material there for several great movies. This isnt one of them. Miles Ahead does nothing to expose new listeners to his wonderfulIt's hard to think of a subject more rich than Miles Davis music or his incredible life. There's enough material there for several great movies. This isnt one of them. Miles Ahead does nothing to expose new listeners to his wonderful records-there's only tiny snippets of his music in this movie. If this had been done right, I would have come from the movie and got out the records and revisited them. The billboard charts would have several Davis records on them-at least in the lower parts of the charts. There's nothing like that going on because there's nothing in this movie to make you want to listen to them again-or discover them for the first time. There IS a car chase, a lot of emphasis on Miles foul mouth and drug use, fans whose idolatry borders on just silliness (a drug dealer who accepts hundreds less if Miles will sign his records for him?). Charles Burnett, Spike Lee, Lee Daniels could have made a great movie about Miles. But because of this slop, there's not much chance that will ever happen now. Dust off your Miles records and skip this movie.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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GreatMartinApr 28, 2016

“Miles Ahead” is an odd Hollywood bio of a Black jazz musician. It has all the clichés such as his being a heroin/coke addict, physically abusing his wife, (a beautiful Emayatzy Corindealdi), being beaten by police and arrested, a sex addict,“Miles Ahead” is an odd Hollywood bio of a Black jazz musician. It has all the clichés such as his being a heroin/coke addict, physically abusing his wife, (a beautiful Emayatzy Corindealdi), being beaten by police and arrested, a sex addict, etc., but it is told in a very strange way. The film deals with the past and present, sometimes in the same frame, but telling us little about the man himself.

I was looking forward to this movie because I was/am a big fan of Miles Davis’s music since I saw him for the first time at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1955 when I was 19 when I was on leave from the Marines. I collected all his records and when I lived in NYC in the early 1960s I saw him in many clubs. I just knew the man as a musician nothing about him personally and the film really doesn’t help there.

There has been good word of mouth about the film, and Dan Cheadle’s performance as Miles Davis, plus his first directorial effort and he co-wrote the screenplay with Steven Baigelman. Miles has a limp but it is never explained just as his very raspy voice isn’t, unless it is and because Cheadle takes that rasp very low we don’t hear it but that’s not really the case. When I got home I googled it and it seems it was due to after operation when he wasn’t suppose to talk for 10 days he yelled on the second day! And the limp was due to a bad hip.

Another negative is that it turns into an action movie with a car chase!

While Cheadle does give a good performance I really don’t see it as an Oscar worthy one though much is being said about it unless it is a reaction to the Oscar nominations of this past February. The movie, like a jam session, is all over the place but the one constant is the music of Miles Davis on the sound track. Here, also, Cheadle makes a misstep by not playing a continuous full out, fully filmed complete music number until the end credits eventually turning into a new rap song.

Instead of seeing “Miles Ahead” I suggest you put on one of his records, sit back and be transformed by the man’s trumpet playing.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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TVJerryApr 26, 2016

Most modern biopics aren't structured in traditional chronological order, hitting the personal and professional highlights. This exploration of jazz innovator Miles Davis "riffs" on one incident in his life with flashbacks to fill in a fewMost modern biopics aren't structured in traditional chronological order, hitting the personal and professional highlights. This exploration of jazz innovator Miles Davis "riffs" on one incident in his life with flashbacks to fill in a few blanks. Don Cheadle not only co-wrote and directed, he also stars as the trumpet pioneer. After 5 years of producing no music (and enduring chronic pain and extended drug use), he's approached by a writer (Ian McGregor) whose effort for a story turns into much more. Flashbacks reveal bits of Davis' relationship with his wife and a few other seminal moments. You could say the film is constructed in a free-form sort of jazz improvisation style. This approach, while interesting, doesn't help build any dramatic force or tension. Fans of the musician may appreciate this opportunity, but regular film goers won't find much meaningful here.… Expand