'Round Midnight (1986)

I don't know how anyone could rave about this film. I thought it was excruciatingly long, slow and very, very boring. I gave it two stars out of ten.I must say that Dexter Gordon is one of my least favorite players of his generation and what fame he was able to garner probably comes more to do with his having outlived the rest of his contemporaries than it does with his musical accomplishments, but to focus so much attention on him and to have to listen to him hoarsely whisper or mumble his lines for over two hours was torture. And here was yet another example of "Ray" or "Walk the Line" syndrome - a biopic about a one-time talent who had become a derelict begging for drinks. Why are we supposed to find this kind of behavior interesting or entertaining? I was not touched and found it impossible to care about what happened to his character.I thought the music was very disappointing, and mostly because of Dexter Gordon. It seemed like he was holding everyone else back. He was appearing alongside a bunch of other guys, all known hotshots, who all looked like they came to play and Gordon could barely squawk out a few notes. In general, all the music was too slow, it barely held together and it was pretty much lifeless and dull. I was so disappointed, especially after the build-up this film got. I don't see how anyone with even the most cursory and superficial interest in jazz can call the music in this film "great jazz".I don't know what kind of a fetish or obsession this director had with jazz, but I thought all of the discussion on screen about the music sounded completely sophomoric and pretentious. It also bugged me greatly to hear Dexter Gordon's character speaking of the evolution of advanced harmony and some of the players who helped usher it forward with new technical and theoretical innovations and placing himself in the time line alongside the likes of Basie, Charlie Parker, etc. Of course, this was not Dexter Gordon talking, but his character, but it was irksome for me to hear Gordon, who is a second class jazz man, talk like he was the Son of God or something.The story line was tedious, what little plot that there was. Why this Francis character would ever get so worked up over the Dale Turner character didn't wash for me. Okay, if this was about the real-life relations between Bud Powell and Francis Paudras, I could see why he'd basically give his life over to help the guy, but from what was shown in this film, it landed like a lead turkey. I fault the director and also the whomever it was that made the terrible casting decision to use Dexter Gordon who, at 63, was way too old for the part. Powell would have been 34, Lester Young would have been 50 in 1959. Gordon seemed too physically challenged and barely able to speak so that it was painful to have to sit through his performance. Watching Gordon was like watching an old dog trying to get up the stairs.In a perverse irony, seeing Martin Scorcese on screen as the oily manager of Dale Turner was strangely humorous.For a film that is supposed to be anthemic and give a definitive view into the jazz world, 'Round Midnight misses the beat.

This is not a film as much it is a paean to Jazz. Director Tavernier is worshiping at the temple of the mightiest that have ever played and his love of the craft, the milieu, the joy and presence of Jazz seeps through every aspect of this truly dreamy film that drifts along on a thin plot that is still surprisingly and rewardingly rich in characterization.Dexter Gordon does not act, but rather plays the alcoholic centerpiece Dale Turner without guile or any sort of oafish pretense that a "real" actor would bring to the character. He is merely there, playing himself. His raspy tenor (voice and sax, both) gifts us with a veracity that draws us to him and to the greatness of his art that is a difficult master off the stage.Dale's guardian angel throughout is Francis, a dedicated, deeply ardent fan who is desperate to steer Dale away from self-destruction, a common trait amount many musicians, especially at the time (Miles Davis, Stan Getz, John Coltrane, and of course Charlie Parker). Gordon himself suffered terribly from heroin addiction in the '50s. Francis in a way invites Dale into the perfunctory world of family, of some normalcy, and this centers Dale and brings him around again to his true love, Jazz.This is all rather a distraction from the music, which is simply extraordinary. Two CDs--a soundtrack and "music from the movie" which Dexter Gordon released separately--have been released through the years. Both are easy essentials to a Jazz lovers' collection. Indeed, if you do not love jazz I am afraid this movie will miss the mark completely for you.Many greats are also in this movie, including Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson, and a host of other jazz lights who are mostly window dressing, but they all contribute to the wonderful soundtrack.If you enjoy the art of jazz, this movie is absolutely essential to watch. Otherwise you will find yourself bored because truly all the movie is about is jazz.

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.

I never write or read these comments because I don't care much what others think of a movie and I sure as heck can't stand reading a pointless review by someone pretending to be the NY Times movie critic using words like "iconoclastic" and otherwise taxing their thesaurus. But being a musician and avid fan myself, I felt I owed this to Dexter Gordon, an excellent musician whose work (I would have said "oeuvre" if I was pretentious, but I say what I mean and I don't need to impress you to make me feel better) was nothing short of legendary. Yes, Dexter Gordon is not an actor, but he did a good job and apparently the folks who hand out the Oscars thought the same, not that I would necessarily use them as a barometer, mind you, but they do pick more winners than losers. Although Dexter did spend about 15 years on/off in Paris, this story is NOT autobiographical, but the storyline of dealing with addictions, mental pain and physical suffering while honing a great talent can be applied to the lives of many jazz greats like Charlie Parker, Lester Young & Bud Powell just to name a few. It's a "dark" movie indeed, but the life of a musician can be very dark. This movie shows how 2 people can work together to overcome their fears, regrets and troubles, and how they interact with the various people and situations in their lives, a true character study revolving around music. The movie is actually more about Francois' character than Dexter's as it's seen from his point of view. It's about the frailty of the human soul and it's about compassion for supreme artistry. Most importantly, regardless of your impression of the movie, you get to see some real legends perform some wonderful jazz. Yes, Dexter Gordon was certainly beyond his prime and you will hear a few clunkers and pitch variance, but you will appreciate his talent nonetheless if you understand or enjoy jazz music at all. If you want to hear him really shine, go listen to his music from the late 40's & also the 60's during his first comeback; Dexter had 3 great comebacks --- and they say Sinatra was a genius at reinvention. That will give you a true sampling of his talent before he got old and started losing his wind. Even though he didn't play to perfection, he still played damn well in this movie and you can hear the experience in his phrasing and choice of notes --- for instance, at the very end of "Body & Soul", where he formerly played a very long ending like a virtuoso in an earlier recording (something you probably expect from someone like Kenny G, who plays about 40 notes where only 10 fit comfortably), Dexter now plays a single, beautifully-placed note. That one single note blew me away! You have to understand and appreciate the fact that most players (and most people) say way too much with their music or words when a carefully placed note or word can say volumes with its understatement, like a single picture with no caption. To play that one note in that one spot was pure genius. Bob James has been known to do the same --- less is more sometimes. Francois Cluzet does a heckuva job as protector and friend and the cameo by Martin Scorsese is priceless. The ending always leaves me wanting more and that's the mark of an excellent movie --- one so good you don't want it to end; you want to be within the movie yourself and you feel you're a part of it. The only reason I gave this a 9 instead of 10 was because it's not a great classic movie like Casablanca or The Godfather, but it touched me as much or more than those movies ever had. But this wasn't meant to be a piece of cinematic history and achievement, it is what it is, a period film about life of a jazz legend and in that respect it does everything possible and them some. This movie deserves your respect, your time and your admiration of a great jazz saxophonist, Dexter Gordon, and kudos to all the musicians involved, especially Herbie Hancock. Actress Lonette McKee does an excellent job on the vocals as well. It also gives you a good feel of a real urban jazz club in the early 60's and how life was for these jazz legends. If you get hooked on this stuff you'll never listen to anything else as it will never measure up, but jazz is very cerebral and it takes someone with a passion for aesthetics to appreciate it. Chess is great too, but you don't see many kids playing Chessmaster on their computers. This movie is an acquired taste and an excellent one at that. Thanks for the memories, Dexter.