Miles Ahead

Miles Ahead, released in 2015, is an exuberant, stylized, and distinctive biographical drama that offers a refreshingly non-traditional take on the life and legacy of legendary jazz musician Miles Davis. The movie fluctuates smoothly between periods of Davis's vibrant life, providing a multifaceted depiction of a musical maestro who not only fashioned a new paradigm for Jazz but also went on to epitomize the aura of the cool jazz era.

The film is creatively directed and co-written by Don Cheadle, who also splendidly inhabits the title role. Whereas standard musician biographies predominantly employ a linear sequence from impoverished beginnings to the pinnacle of success, often passing via periods of prodigious excess, drug addiction, and subsequent redemption, Miles Ahead shuffles the linear sequence, presenting an impressionistic, non-linear sketch of Davis's life.

The film focuses on two contrasting periods in Davis' life. The principal narrative is set in the late 1970s during a creative barren period where Davis had become a reclusive figure, residing in his New York apartment cut off from the world, fighting substance abuse and chronic health ailments. Intercut within the primary story, the film transforms into a series of fragmented flashbacks showcasing Davis's heyday in the late 1950s and 1960s, when he was on a maddening creative high, revolutionizing the world of Jazz.

In the eye of the storm, Don Cheadle's performance as Miles Davis is mercurial, uninhibited and charismatic, mirroring the musician's famous eccentricity and unpredictable temperament. His protrayal ferociously captures Davis's genius, inner demons, insecurities, and the relentless pursuit of his musical vision.

A supplementary narrative device arrives in the form of Dave Braden, a rambunctious Rolling Stone journalist played by Ewan McGregor, attempting to procure an out-of-sight interview from the elusive musician. This fictional character becomes a narrative tool that maneuvers us smartly into Davis’s personal life. Several scenes pairing Davis and Braden give rise to some of the film's most dramatic, comedic and action-packed moments that also serve to reveal deep, poignant insights about Davis's life beyond his music.

Miles Ahead isn't solely a melancholic investigation of a fallen genius. It uses exaggeration and elements of action and crime thrillers to make a point about Davis's life. It contemplates the often-tumultuous relationship between Davis and his first wife, Frances Taylor, portrayed elegantly by Emayatzy Corinealdi, whose portraits grace some of Davis's most significant album covers. This adds an intriguing layer of emotional depth, throwing light on Davis's interpersonal relationships and his attitudes towards the women in his life.

Cinematically, the film is a visual symphony that pays homage to the maverick virtuosity of Davis. It uses jazz-inspired editing aesthetics, presenting its narrative progress in a piecemeal, improv-like structure mimicking jazz compositions. As a director, Cheadle superbly mirrors the chaotic brilliance of jazz, presenting a film that's every bit as disjointed, impulsive and beautifully messy as the music genre Davis helped define.

Miles Ahead, despite being a biopic, is not necessarily a complete and conclusive biographical study of the life of the jazz legend. It is rather a fusion of fact and fiction, thoughtful impressions and embellished realities that masterfully echo the essence and genius of Miles Davis. The film is indeed a character-driven portrayal full of wild energy and a fantastic, memorable score that Davis himself would undoubtedly have enjoyed.

A far cry from a traditional biographical film, Miles Ahead chooses to portray its subject in an impressionistic style rather than trying to be all-encompassing. It investigates the man behind the music with an eye for detail and the other on the broader thematic canvas of the cultural and personal battlegrounds that Davis navigated. It takes the audience on a cinematic journey as freewheeling, spontaneous, and compelling as its protagonist's journey through life and music.

In a nutshell, the film is a creative and passionate tribute to an artist who cherished innovation and loathed stagnation, not unlike his adventurous music, and entirely fitting considering it tackles the life of a man who constantly pushed boundaries in his art. The film extends beyond its individual characters and fleshes out a persuasive snapshot of the cultural, racial, and artistic climate that helped mold Davis and the subsequent jazz world. Whether you're an ardent fan of Davis, a jazz aficionado, or someone with a casual interest in dramatic biopics, 'Miles Ahead' is compelling viewing.