Born To Be Blue
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On the Amazon streaming service today, I had the good fortune to find and watch a 2015 “biopic” movie, “Born To Be Blue”, concerning Chet Baker’s life and focusing on his recovery and return to playing following his extensive facial injuries. I thought it was a great movie and featured trumpet playing by an outstanding Canadian Trumpet Player, Kevin Turcotte. Ethan Hawke plays Chet Baker and sings.
Here is a trailer as well a sample of Kevin Turcotte’s channeling of Chet Baker. In the movie he also plays in the style of Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.Steve Smith
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Something very interesting in that film, and think it's lost on a lot of viewers, is that the director used a very subtle device. Some of the film is B&W and some in colour. It represents two different time frames, the B&W is the past, the colour is the present.
Like practically all biopics, that film takes poetic license. Yet, I believe, it's true in substance.
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@ssmith1226
I bought the dvd when it was released several years ago. Good acting by Ethan Hawke, who took trumpet lessons so he could look more believable as Chet Baker, but it was indeed the Canadian player who did the actual playing, and he was fantastic.
I don't know how much of the film is factual, but it got good reviews from those who knew Chet so I'd guess it was an acceptable attempt. I watch the movie once or twice a year and always enjoy it, even though the ending is downbeat.
George
