Ethan Hawke plays Chet Baker, in a highly-fictionalized story of his return to performing after serving jail time. Getting beat up by his dealer. Losing all his teeth. Having to learn to play trumpet all over again. Climbing back to a place where he could command a stage again, only to fall into his heroin habit again.
I wish the movie had been directed by Clint Eastwood. Robert Budreau (who's about 30) didn't have the depth or pathos to make the film work. The characters -- and Ethan Hawke is very, very good in it -- the characters walk through the script but nobody feels anything. You aren't made to FEEL why Chet needed smack. You aren't made to FEEL why Chet needed to come back. You never FEEL the motivation of the characters.
It was all very pretty, with a lot of great music... but it wasn't JAZZ.
And the actress that plays his love interest, Carmen Ejogo, was very pretty but she's at least 3/4 white. In the film both her parents were black. Why is it Hollywood still can't cast black women in leading roles?