Born to be Blue

(Preview by Russell/photos from Sight and Sound)

Following hot on the heels of Don Cheadle’s biopic of Miles Davis comes Born to be Blue. Director Robert Budreau’s film about the life and troubled times of ‘cool school’ trumpet icon Chet Baker features the bankable Hollywood star Ethan Hawke.  

Julian Joseph reviewed the film on Radio 4’s Front Row. The pianist observed: You get that sense of reverence in Hawke’s portrayal of Baker and the esteem in which he held Miles Davis.

Robert Budreau, interviewed by Trevor Johnston for Sight and Sound magazine (August 2106) said: Our goal was really to use Chet Baker as a way to tell a more universal story about the choices an artist has to make. On Ethan Hawke’s portrayal of Baker, Budreau said: We were so lucky to get him at that moment in his life when he was firing on all cylinders.      

Russell

Ethan Hawke (Chet Baker), Carmen Ejogo (Jane Azuka), Kedar Brown (Miles Davis), Kevin Hanchard (Dizzy Gillespie).

Robert Budreau (director), David Braid (original score and jazz arrangements).

Born to be Blue (cert 15) is to be screened at Arc, Dovecot Street, Stockton on Friday September 2nd at 5:30pm, Saturday 3rd at 2:00pm and again at 8:00pm, with a final screening at two o’clock on Wednesday 7th.