not as good as all the hype

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Filmmaker/jazz buff Bertrand Tavernier's story of an aging, alcoholic tenor sax man living in Paris works best when sticking to the music and steering clear of the jazz lover's anguished adulation. At the heart of the film is a compelling amateur performance by Dexter Gordon, a jazzman himself just doing what comes natural, playing a musician grown "tired of everything except the music." Gordon's ragged, melancholy voice and lazy mannerisms hold the episodic non-plot together, providing a measure of quiet relief from the histrionic outbursts of his number-one fan François Cluzet, who is forced to pour his heart and soul into lines like, "He is a great musician! A genius!" and, "Your music changed my life!" It may not hold much interest to anyone not already inclined toward the music of Bud Powell and Lester Young (to whom the film is dedicated), but die-hard aficionados will (like François) find it a small slice of jazz heaven.

I am not a great fan of jazz, particularly not the Herbie Hancock kind where it is all jerky or the kind where there is no discernible melody, but the jazz in this film is pretty good on the whole. The musical highlight for me was How Long has this been Going On?What I really liked about the film was the unhurried pace. There was not really a plot at all, the only story being that the lead character went to Paris, stayed there for a while and befriended a fan and his daughter, and then went home again. It is such a relief to see a film like this -- they are few and very far between-- where you can watch each scene without wondering what specific piece of information you are supposed to absorb before you move on to the next scene. And the absence of a plot does not mean that the film had nothing to say. On the contrary, it was a film about friendship, specifically the friendship between Dale and Francis, and it was outstanding in its observation of their relationship.It's a truly lovely, meandering, thought-provoking and ultimately very moving portrayal of a part of life.

What the previous reviewer failed to mention is that this great movie is about BUD POWELL's life after he moved to France in 1959 due to his continuing health and mental problems. Powell, next to Monk, was the greatest jazz pianist in history, and is portrayed perfectly by tenor sax great Dexter Gordon. By the end of the film, I was left wondering what could have been for Powell. How much more of a brilliant career could we have seen ? Miles Davis always claimed that the electro-shock treatments that Powell received in the 1950s during his various stints in mental sanitariums, robbed the great pianist of his creativity and musical genius. Whatever the case, Powell joined the long list of sad endings to great, great jazz careers. Charlie Parker, Brownie, Lee Morgan, Eric Dolphy -- the streak of tragedy and greatness cut short runs like a bright orange thread throughout the history of this fine music.If you are a jazz fan, this movie truly is required viewing. If you are music fan, I suggest you give it a try. A moving piece.

A vivid portrait of a Bud Powell/Lester young type who, like the vast majority of American jazz artists, receives more appreciation and love for his art overseas than here in the U.S. even though this is where Jazz was born.It saddens me every time I watch it because jazz is still so under-appreciated in this country. And we can largely thank commercial radio for that.