Monday, March 30, 2015
Big band
Just when you think big band music is disappearing, along comes something like this film.
with Miles Teller as a young drummer and J.K. Simmons as his mentor.
First, the music. Superb. Even if it is in smaller snatches until the end, it carries the weight of the picture.
This is big band jazz. Not the twinkle of guitars and drums. The full gutted sound of big brass and heavy reeds. Big.
The story is a standard, up from behind, pitfalls, even bloody hands. Missed events. Lost music. A home where athletics are the main thing. The appearance of the Dad at the end is profound.
The people behind this love the music. They surround it as it encompasses them.
My only wish is that this could have lasted three or four hours so we could hear all the new pieces and standards on display.
This is a must see again film. A rare 5 out of Netflix5.
I am off to Amazon to buy the disc.
One more thing. Miles Teller is a John Cusack reborn! Wonderful.
Labels: best films, films
