Born to be Blue (2015) – Hidden Gem of a biopic

Genre: Biopic – based on true story

Platform: Amazon Prime

Time : 1 hour 37 minutes

Director: Robert Budreau

Cast:  Ethan Hawke (Chet Baker). Carmen Ejogo (Jane Azuka). Callum Keith Rennie (Dick/ Richard Bock).

Plot:  In the mid-1960s, jazz trumpet player Chet Baker is released from an Italian jail (where he is undergoing drug induced hallucinations), by a Hollywood producer who wants him to act as himself in a biopic, based on his life . While shooting in New York with his leading lady Jane, he is attacked by drug dealers, to whom he owes money. His front teeth and jaw are broken, and he can no longer play the trumpet. He shifts to the West Coast, lives in a van with Jane, fights drug addiction with methadone treatment thanks to his mentor and owner of Pacific jazz records Dick Brock, practices like a novice, gradually gets better at playing the trumpet, does some local engagements, records again and finally plays at the prestigious New York jazz club Birdland.

As jazz musicians go, Baker’s life was as self-destructive as that of many jazz musicians . Drug addiction. Multiple affairs with women. Debt. Recording with jazz greats like Charlie Parker at a young age. Blazing the trail for what was called as the “West Coast jazz” style of jazz. Jazz singer.  All the time his downward self-destructive spiral continued .

The final gig at Birdland can be equalled as redemption as no less than two jazz giants Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie are in the audience, applauding him. However, his real life was and continued to be absolutely messy. He finally went to Europe, was a lifelong heroin addict and died in 1988, at the relatively young age of 58.

This is ideal material for any film maker to show a downward spiral and then a redemption . The script doesn’t portray him as a saint or a genius. It just shows his continued downward spiral where he continued to go against the very people who trusted and loved him , his wife Jane and Pacific Jazz owner, Dick Bock.  The onscreen Jane is a composite of the many women in his life , as he was not a one-woman man and continued multiple affairs with many women. His tone was somewhat like Miles Davis which led him to being labelled as a “White Miles Davis”. Davis’s “East Coast Cool” was often compared with “West Coast Cool”. There were some similarities in Baker’s trumpet playing and that of Davis, except that Baker was largely self-taught and could not even “read” music,(check this link https://concord.com/artist/chet-baker/ ) ‘listening’ to the radio and playing “by ear”

Given all these issues, it’s a wonder that Baker even made music, leave alone great music.  His 1950s West Coast recordings show great flair and improvisation, combined with a soft tone and whisper style vocals.

Given such limitations, it is almost impossible to document such a self destructive lifestyle but writers Robert Budreau (who also directs) and James Luscombe, have presented a warts and all view of Baker during a crucial period in his life. There is no “why” – this is just the way it was . Whatever interpretation one can have for the self-destructive behaviour, is ours. Perhaps we can attribute it as “the cost of being a genius”.

Ethan Hawke does an excellent job of portraying Baker in all his mercurial behaviour , professionally and personally. Hawke also sang two tracks and it is impossible NOT to be impressed as the vocals are very close to that of Baker. The superb soundtrack by jazz musician and pianist David Braid, including the two Hawke vocals, is available on You Tube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmBoLxHXqIgGCCuTQO5IJuFNNtL3C-yGX&si=rELBioxlbiRivwX2

The film is like a painting where layers are added , till you get the final portrait. If you love jazz, then you will love this hidden gem. The film is free on Amazon Prime

Real History – 3 out of 5

Script – 4 out of 5

Story – 4 out of 5

Direction – 5 out of 5

Photography – 4 out of 5

Soundtrack – 5 out of 5

Total – 4.2 out of 5