Miles Ahead
Director: Don Cheadle
Talent: Don Cheadle, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Ewan McGregor, Michael Stuhlbarg
Released: 22nd April
The standard music biopic format has been done so many times that even when there is an interesting story to work off, said story is forced though such rote beats that only true fans (and possibly the Oscar selection committee) will escape boredom.
With Miles Ahead, director/star Don Cheadle is determined not to bore his audience. Instead he has crafted a fictionalised, genre-fuelled tale that represents not the literal reality of Miles, but rather develops as a stylised (even cartoonish) portrait to represent that reality.
Even when the film veers into elements that never really land, it gets away with it because of its novelty, and perhaps because of the sheer passion with which Cheadle has served up this project. It may not hit all the notes it’s going for, but the fact that this film isn’t playing any of the expected notes either is enough to make it worthwhile.
Words: Bernard O’Rourke
