Rating: 
Summary: One of the best films ever made about jazz.
Review: "Round Midnight" is a film that tells the story of a Black American jazz musician in Paris. Dexter Gordon plays the lead role, based partly on the life of the pianist Bud Powell. The atmosphere of Paris in the 1950's is beautifully captured in this moving and perceptive portrayal of an artist increasingly isolated from a society that turns its back on his genius. The French director, Bernard Tavernier, has made his mark with this wonderfully reflective and engrossing film. Jazz movies are rarely this good, and this one is a classic. It's definitely a must for the collection of all jazz lovers. END
Rating:
Summary: This movie was intelligent and entertaining.
Review: A very well done movie. The writer showed a great understanding of what it means to be a jazz musician and a jazz fan. That relationship inspired me to realize the differance between the way America treats jazz musicians and the way Europe treats jazz musicians. It also showed how terrifying and valient it is to live your dream. I honestly think that the music in this film was some of the finest music found anywhere. Another reason to go pick it up. Sorry I can't tell you more, but, this movie is great. I strongly recommend you go pick it up. Peace and Love to all music fans.
Rating:
Summary: A magicial marriage of music and dialog
Review: A wonderful blend of mood and music. The shadows cast in this black and white film are as strong as the people and places that make them. An all star cast of some of the worlds greatest (jazz) musicians makeing music live to tape. This makes it one of the stongest conversational films of all time. There are the words that are spoken by the actors/musicians, and also the music that is spoken by the musicians as musicians. The music becomes dialog. All the live music scenes are recorded live to tape. This is very, very rare in cinema and only done on talk shows on TV. And in Round Midnight this magicial marriage merges successfully.
Rating:
Summary: Jazz anyone?
Review: Being a sax player, I was completely sucked in. It's one
of my favorites. It's a slow-paced movie, but the acting is
exellent and it's very real.
Rating:
Summary: the best jazz movie ever made
Review: beung a fellow saxophonist myself,and music lover this movie will make you laugh, cry and atleast leave you with some understanding of what it is to be a jazz musician and definitely one of color . also i wanted to find out what it was like overseas before i left for europe that year the movie was released and found it to be very similiar to reality. i've watched this film over 200 times and still love it .enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Kind of BLUE...Kind of Great...CLASSIC
Review: Dexter Gordon's virtuoso performance as archetypal saxman Dale Turner is a wonder to hear and see.The blood is on the tracks(and reeds)in this inspired Jazz tableau by director Bertrand Tavernier. ROUND MIDNIGHT sounds few false notes coda-fying the last hurrah for jazz legends of the ilk of Lester Young,Bud Powell and Charlie Parker.Often times,Clint Eastwood's,BIRD evokes"Hollywood" wearing its soul on its sleeve. Not so,RM.
If it's "kind of blue" ambience occasionally "sticks" in the craw/groove...like an old 33/3rd with too many trips to the EM "outhouse";jail;or vin rouge bench cafe...c'est tout! There's no Barbara Streisand(PEOPLE who need PEOPLE!)or Michael Moore pseudo-ette to bail it out. The film declares wounded soul like a Jazz Angelus: human warts;dreg boredom-ennui;and musical ephiphany-lightning comprised.
Herbie Hancock's score is unostentatiously superb. The battle-array of "side men" is peerless and legendary in its own right. Technical ambience of the film is startling menage of art film; home movie; bums'travelogue; existential sermon and spectacular jazz ensemble,cafe-house concert footage. Sax solos by Dexter Gordon are sad;sharp;hip and utterly convincing as art and spirit-renewing "entertainment". The film will move you and reward you if you let it.It does not"lip-synch"suck-up,or gloss what is cheap,rank or pathetic about a world that usually honors and pays the wrong people and breaks the best while doing so. ROUND MIDNIGHT celebrates hard-won glory of genius creators.This film is jazz'ROAD NOT TAKEN. It's a classic that allows viewers brief,safe,sojourn-amble down the usually very rutted;lonely; uncertain-or-appreciated,sometimes dangerous,path of the artist hero who is "human all too human"...
Rating: 
Summary: annoying voice of Dexter Gordon.
Review: Dexter Gordon's voice is terrible to hear all allong this movie. The French actor plays a stupid fanatic who forgets he has a life. This whole story might be true but the voice is terrible and the rythm of the movie is sloooow. I bought this movie because of your review but after I had seen it I returned it to the store to exchanged it. Compare this movie to Bird or Mo better blues and you will give those two movies a 10. With all due respect to Dexter Gordon's musical genius, Tavernier should have chosen an actor with a better voice. Typical french movies, they throw things at you that you must like because it is supposed to be deep and intellectual. Wrong. as Serge Dassault inventor of the Mirage jet fighter once said: " a plane can be technically the best, but without beauty it isn't a plane.
Rating:
Summary: Over and Over
Review: I am hypnotized by this movie, its characters and its story. It felt so real to me, it was like I was there with them. The sound track is powerful, beautiful and is an integral part of the movie itself. The story is told as much through the music as the dialog. Dexter Gordon was tremendous. I truly "felt his pain". I watch it over and over....
Rating:
Summary: No middle ground
Review: I find it curious that in all the reviews of "Round Midnight" that there is virtually no middle ground. People either loved the movie (most) while others hated it. I suspect those that didn't like the movie are devotees of fusion and fail to appreciate the jazz of the 1950's. Gordon while not the "topical" character of the film, lived this story as an expatriated saxphonist. He brings a reality to the picture that is lacking in similar ventures such as "Bird". While I think "Bird" is too an outstanding film, the reality of watching the music being created live is not there. This film shames efforts like "Lady Sings the Blues" because of its stark reality. There is no glossing over and memorializing Dale Turner in the movie. He's there with all his warts for all the world to see. This wasn't a star vehicle like "Lady..." was for Ross. This may be the most honest film ever made.
Rating:
Summary: This is Jazz
Review: I first saw this film alone in my apartment in the wee hours in the morning,and it captures that mood perfectly. Though not a jazz fan at the time,this film and the soundtrack made me a jazz fanatic. Using real jazz legends make this film as real as a movie can get. I like the slow pace and the smoky jazz ambience.
|
