lsfoley-95011 It wasn't Dexter Gordon's alcoholism that was the issue in this movie, it was heroin addiction. The movie portrayed Gordon just being himself in his addiction. He ultimately died of it and not that long after the movie was filmed. The music was haunting and sad and correlated with Gordon's addiction in real time. It was a cautionary tale.

inioi Dexter Gordon said to Bertrand Tavernier long after they finish the movie that He was so involved in the role of Dale Turner that could hardly forget it. This beautiful film, (almost documentary) is quite simple. The relationship between the music and a french man jazz lover. All surrounded by a nightly jazzy atmosphere. The wishes, fears, issues of two men linked by music.The Cinematography by Bruno de Keyzer is amazing, and portrays perfectly the night jazz bar ambient.8/10

Michael Neumann Filmmaker/jazz buff Bertrand Tavernier's story of an aging, alcoholic tenor sax man living in Paris works best when sticking to the music and steering clear of the jazz lover's anguished adulation. At the heart of the film is a compelling amateur performance by Dexter Gordon, a jazzman himself just doing what comes natural, playing a musician grown "tired of everything except the music." Gordon's ragged, melancholy voice and lazy mannerisms hold the episodic non-plot together, providing a measure of quiet relief from the histrionic outbursts of his number-one fan François Cluzet, who is forced to pour his heart and soul into lines like, "He is a great musician! A genius!" and, "Your music changed my life!" It may not hold much interest to anyone not already inclined toward the music of Bud Powell and Lester Young (to whom the film is dedicated), but die-hard aficionados will (like François) find it a small slice of jazz heaven.

writers_reign It's difficult to believe that the heart of this great movie didn't influence a later equally fine paean to friendship Il Postino. This one was almost true celebrating as it does the friendship between pianist Bud Powell and a young French admirer whilst Il Postino was based on the real friendship of the very real Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and the ingenuous young Italian who delivered his mail whilst he was in exile in Italy. Though Round Midnight was marketed as a film about Jazz, specifically what at the time (the late fifties) was known as 'modern' jazz and which had in turn evolved from Be-Bop it is much, much more a film about friendship and redemption. If you are a Jazz buff - and I am - then the Jazz is merely a bonus, albeit a terrific bonus but Francois Cluzet and Dexter Gordon deserve all the accolades available as does Bertrand Tavernier, who, not content with making the definitive jazz movie went on to do the same for the Occupation in Laissez-passer. A truly outstanding movie. Ten stars going away.