The Miles Davis Story
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Movie Reviews of The Miles Davis Story
Movie Review: Could not agree more....
Summary: 4 Stars
It is a DOCUMENTARY, not a CONCERT. And a pretty good one at that. If you're interested in learning more about the Man behind the "incredible music" this is a great place to start. Right now, I'm more of a late 60's- early 70's Miles fan, I trust that I will appreciate all facets of his art. An American Icon.Movie Review: Miles Deserves So Much Better.
Summary: 3 Stars
Problems with this documentary:
1. Should have clocked in at 4 hours - at the very least!
6 hours might have done the man and his prodigious career
justice. Might have, if it was organised intelligently
with an emphasis on THE MUSIC and how and why it was made
rather than the dude's personal life.
2. Weighted with lots of gossipy interviews in an attempt to
illuminate the person behind the persona. Which is fine and
valid, as far as that sort of thing goes. Unfortunately,
this stunt is attempted in a suspiciously selective way:
ex-wives, some business associates, a relative or two and
a handful of former sideman; but either too little too often
or too much too frequently to be fair to someone who cannot
defend himself (not that Miles would even care to bother).
3. Likewise, plods through some relatively minor stuff that was
obviously readily available (case in point: long segments on
the Louis Malle score), while absurdly glossing over so many
key periods (example: everything between Jack Johnson and
the 1980 comeback is treated as some drug-addled aberration).
Taken in tandem with Ken Burns' lame treatment of Miles,
similarly stupidly dismissive of the Dark Magus period, this
uncoolness is more than annoying - its insulting.
4. A biographer who does not seem to be at all hip. I cannot
believe how inept his description of a saxophonist's playing
was. Does this guy know anything about music? Don't seem
so. How in Gehenna did this dude ever manage to get Miles'
confidence?
When, oh when, will someone who REALLY digs
Davis, in all his guises and aspects and contradictions and
weirdness present this life the way it ought to be?!?
Miles deserves someone hip enough to delive into the substance
without coming across like a stuffy Oxford Don. He deserves
a cross between William Burroughs, Lester Bangs, Quincy Jones,
Marcus Miller and Samuel R. Delaney to do him justice.
Damn! Someone should spend an hour just describing how
He Loved Him Madly was put down!
5. So many notable recordings and concert tours and sidemen info
are missing from this mug that it is hardly worth watching
more than once. Give us the Miles we really want - and need!
And by the way SONY, where are all those unedited concerts?
There just HAS to be tons of Miles out there somewhere.
Get up with it!
Movie Review: adequate intro / short encouters
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a possible entry point to Miles Davis' life and creation. Historical-, social-, personal-, musical-, and all sorts of -markers are scattered throughout, at times even connected.
From a musical perspective, as others here suggest, this material comes short by not providing full(er) versions of Miles' works. Worse yet, it is the absence of most any conceptual considerations regarding Miles Davis' works that bothers your exigent documentary-viewer. For example, was he a religious man, did philosophy matter to him, what was his debt to, let's say, classical and other forms of music? We learn, in passing, from family members about his listening to Khatchaturian and French impressionists or to Flamenco music in preparation of Sketches of Spain. We also learn about his interest in painting and drawing though there is no connecting line back into/from his jazz music. Too little analysis, too many trivial facts. In other words, the viewer is left wanting to learn more about how much of Miles' creation was pure instinct vs. informed?
Oh well, most interviews were taped in 1986 (he was still alive) and he wasn't making a good interviewee either. Apparently, too little time has passed for us to comprehend Miles Davis beyond the tunes of his recorded music. It will take time, and who knows how many degrees in musicology to start figuring out the enigma behind the notes.
On a technical note, this DVD brings little in addition to the VHS version since the menu-items are few and slooow to move among.
Considering its price, this DVD could safely make do as an introduction to Miles Davis' or as a pleasant encounter with some jazz legends of the past century.
Movie Review: Spotty and spread too thin, but a decent introduction
Summary: 3 Stars
Glad I decided to Netflix this instead of making it an impulse buy, because if you know at very least the basics of his work and career, you're bound to be frustrated by this by-the-numbers skip through Davis' life.
Since it just focuses on one figure, "The Miles Davis Story" is able to focus in on Miles with a more intense magnification than "Ken Burns' Jazz" was, but it sorely lacks that entity's engaging, fascinating approach. Talking heads and short clips is the M.O. here.
It moves quickly, skipping through the high points so fast you might find it hard to believe they've said all they're going to say about "Kind of Blue," "Sketches of Spain," "Bitches Brew," etc. And since this is a Sony project, they give particularly short shrift to his pre-Columbia years.
Granted, it would take hours to cover all the various aspects of Miles Davis' art sufficiently and this program is merely intended to give an overview. But watching it, I wasn't sure if a newcomer would be pulled into the documentary or if, overwhelmed by the pace and the subject, they might get a little bored.
I'll watch and, on some level, enjoy *anything* that features the music, performances and photographs of one of my favorite jazz icons, but Sony should apply the same marketing strategy they're currently employing with the Miles Davis box sets and start issuing as much live performance footage as they can on video, particularly in light of the enthusiasm of myself and the other reviewers.
Movie Review: a good overview, but...
Summary: 3 Stars
as a doc, it's pretty pedestrian; has a made-for-tv feel; however, the information, the chronology is useful.
a lot of self-serving interviews, and a little flat overall.
still, worth watching, just to see miles grow, change, explore.
the 80's stuff is sad (to me); but it is amazing that miles bounced back at all.
hopefully, someone will make that great movie about his life (as there is at least one film "in development" currently).