Round Midnight-DVD

Round Midnight (1986), Dir. Bertrand Tavernier

A must see for anyone who enjoys jazz or film even a little bit. The film follows an ailing tenor sax player to the Blue Note in Paris every night. By chance he meets an ardent Parisian fan, and their friendship infuses his life with one last creative burst.

Beautifully shot, with dark, smoky shots juxtaposed against the breathiness and soulfulness of the music; the film seems to own the music and cradle it, much like Francis, who strains to listen outside the club. The abrupt shifts in filmic time also echo the shifts in jazz time, letting the music meld the picture cuts together seamlessly. The mood carries through from day to night and back again, all the while keeping a mellow air with the sultry improvisation of the music hovering just above it.

The characters seem to live inside the music, and they emerge from the shadows of the film as three-dimensional faces breathing life into their instruments as beads of sweat meander to their chins. The sensuality of the playing, coupled with the subtle sensitivity of the visual leaves you straining to hear the last musical breaths as they move through the saxophone and out of your screen.

Despite awkward acting from a couple of secondary characters, this film lets you forget the production. It actually has to remind you from time to time that it is, in fact, a film, as you are probably lost in the blue riffs that keep oozing out of every frame.

Excellent.