When this was on TV the other night, I expected to stick out about two minutes of it. Being a follower of Tarantino, all I'd heard recently of Spike Lee was wholly negative. In addition, I know nothing of black culture and/or jazz. Imagine my surprise then when, two hours later, I found myself entirely intoxicated by the blend of atmosphere, empathy, humour and pure depth of character and relationship in this exceptional movie. Next up, I'm watching all his other movies... Quentin, make your peace!
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AndyInThePieWithAlmonds15 January 1999
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"Mo' Better Blues" is Spike Lee's immediate follower of the unanimously acclaimed "Do the Right Thing". And if not 'Mo' Better' than the glorious predecessor, Lee still 'did the right thing' by tackling a less political subject and pay a beautiful tribute to jazz music through one of the most under-appreciated performances of the 90's: Denzel Washington as Bleek Gilliam, the trumpet player.
"Do the Right Thing" also coincided with the year Washington won his first Oscar for his performance as the tormented Afro-American soldier questioning the value of his engagement with the Yankees. As Bleek, Washington not only shows a more light-hearted facet of his acting range, but also proves a unique ability to portray men driven by anger, selfishness but with enough pride and confidence to win our respect. His characters might be flawed but we understand them and the emotional pay-off is that they ultimately try to change, for the best, closing some fascinating characters' arcs, among which Bleek isn't an exception.
Bleek is interesting because he crystallizes the curse of making constantly bad choices, and by 'bad' I mean 'tragic', even more because only the scope of a life highlight them. And "Mo' Better Blues" spans thirty years of Bleek's life so we have glimpses on the devastating effects of the most benign choices. It opens in 1969 when Bleek's friends urge him to come play softball, but it is trumpet which he must play, under his mother's tyrannic supervision. His father coerces her to let the boy be a boy, but he's too busy watching TV to be listened to. The kids finally leave, calling Bleek a 'sissy', Bleek resumes playing with much reluctance.
The immediate ellipse endorses the mother's authoritarian education; Bleek became a handsome trumpet player with a way with women, leader of a quintet featuring Shadow Henderson (Wesley Snipes) the saxophone player, Bill Nunn in the bass and Giancarlo Esposito in the piano. What a great delight to watch all these actors joined interacting in the artist's room. The list would be incomplete without Spike Lee who plays Giant, an ironic name for the vertically challenged manager of the band. Anyway, life seems to smile to Bleek, but all the film's stylish shots can't hide behind the shadowy and smoothly designed atmosphere, the presages of an imminent downfall.
"Mo' Better Blues" chronicles a series of bad choices made by a man not by lack of luck or intelligence, but because his ego and certitudes prevent him from realizing the harm he causes to his entourage, and ultimately, to himself. Bleek is too blinded by his leadership to understand that it might not last, especially with such a promising sax player, who proves his value every night through outstanding solos. He's too caught up by his friendship with Giant he lets him ruin the band's career. Giant is a gambler who makes the wrong bets, who fails to convince the club owners Moe and Josh Flatbush (John and Nicholas Turturro) to renegotiate the contract, and much more, who gets no respect because of his diminutive size. Not stupid or unlucky, but Bleek's tragedy is that his best friend is. Spike Lee perfectly plays Giant, the lovable loser.
But Bleek is also the architect of his own demise, notably on the love department. He dates two women who couldn't have been more opposite: Cynda Williams as Clarke Bettencourt, a glamorous, light-skinned artist whose dream is to be Bleek's Muse and sing for him but she can't break the iced gate of his own ego forcing Bleek to turn the subject into a "Mo'Better" moment, a classy euphemism for sex. But it is interrupted when she accidentally bites Bleek's very tool of work: his lip, confirming the impossible junction of work and passion. But Clarke's pleas find echoes in Shadow and her character magnificently blooms when she sings a sweet ballad for Shadow's quartet (guess who misses?) and proves Bleek wrong. But his heart belongs to Indigo (Joie Lee), the less glamorous but more dedicated woman who patiently endures his rejections.
We know they're meant for each other, but Bleek is still obsessed with Clarke's body, the highest in the hierarchy of beauty standards in the black community. Realistically, it's only when Bleek's career is over that he seeks Indigo's help, and she knows. Paying the highest price of being Giant's friend, his lip is permanently hurt by two loan sharks. By the way, the film tactfully avoids the ridiculous triumphant comeback cliché invited to join the band by Shadow, Bleek can't play correctly and leaves the stage forever, the heart full of pain and humiliation. All he's got left is Indigo, and she only accepts after he begs her to ''save his life', which means that he finally triumphed over his own ego.
Part choice, part luck, the film subtly parallels life with jazz music, which is one third- dedication, one third-inspiration and one-third improvisation, Bleek was too dedicated to himself to see how listening to the others could help him. I could relate to Bleek for I had my share of bad choices, for I'm still trusting my best friend to whom I owe many of the biggest problems I have (and he's still a friend) for even with my future wife, I kept lusting about other more voluptuous women, while I still know that she was the one. I remember an old man who hardly knew me but said "there's something erroneous" about me. Now, I knew what he meant and this is something I can also say about Bleek, hoping that, like him, my life will change positively.
And the ending says it all when the exact opening scene is recreated, only this time, Bleek lets his son go play with his friend, probably realizing that one simple choice can have one hell of an effect on one's life, and not repeating the same mistakes is already a way to succeed. -
capncruller25 May 2014This was a frustrating movie for me because it was at times brilliant, yet there are a few things that could have been done better.
Spike Lee shows why he is revered as a writer director, with beautiful dynamic shots, intercut with smooth jazz. It is a charming presentation. Also the dialogue is interesting and feels natural and spontaneous. The combination of strong writing and acting makes for interesting conversations.
The things I found frustrating was the lack of a focused or interesting story. Also Spike Lee's performance was very weak compared to Denzel's and he should have stayed out of the movie. He actually took a lot of the attention from the other characters and tried to make the movie about himself. -
JawsOfJosh3 November 2000After the commercial and critical success of "Do The Right Thing," in which Lee announced his arrival as a major player, he choose to follow up his breakthrough with a more personal film. If you examine history, it seems all iconoclasts choose to do so after their first big success ("The Conversation," "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind," "Talk Radio"), and Lee decided to pay homage to what he's always referred to simply as "the music." Set in then-present day 1990, "Mo' Better Blues" tells the tale of Denzel Washington as Bleek Gilliam, a selfish trumpeter who fronts his own jazz quintet in an upscale Brooklyn club. The strength of the film deals with Bleek juggling his loyalties. On the love side, Bleek is caught between two women; Clarke is a sexy bombshell in constant need of Bleek's attention who's too busy centering in on his music. She's also an aspiring singer hoping Bleek will give her a chance to shine. Bleek, obviously, does not want to share the spotlight. Indigo is a thoughtful schoolteacher who is not fragile with Bleek's tremendous ego but is careful with his somewhat callous heart. At work, Bleek is wrestling with a hungry band demanding pay raises given the success they're achieving at the "Beneath The Underdog" club. Clumsily working towards the band's raise is Giant, Bleek's lifelong friend and incompetent manager, who also has a considerable gambling problem. Bleek must decide whether to trust Giant or risk losing his band, while deciding how long he can keep up the game between Indigo and Clarke.
This, simply, is one of my favorite Lee films. Thank God someone finally made a jazz film for the late 20th century, jazz had not received a proper modern makeover since 1961's "Paris Blues." Lee creates a wonderful, intimate world set off by moody lighting in shades of red, yellow and blue. His camera and editing - which was spontaneous and lively in "Do The Right Thing" - is slow and deliberate here, carefully punctuated in all the right places. This film marked the debut of some of Lee's trademark camera moves, including the 'gliding sidewalk' dolly and his slow-spin-upward pans.
Like his previous films, Lee is adept and balancing out scenes between comedy and drama. A lot of the 'band' scenes are engagingly funny, mostly guy talk with a spin of that "cool daddy jazz vibe" added. Lee is also skillful at making Bleek the antagonist of the film without rendering him completely unlikable. The "Love Supreme" montage ending seemed to stretch the film for longer than some would have liked, but I feel it was justified in order to illustrate the beauty and necessity of Bleek's redemption. Lee was also smart to reduce screen time given to the film's true protagonist, saxophonist Shadow Henderson (rendered with cool, suave sophistication by Wesley Snipes), in order to keep the audience focused on Bleek. You will also get a delicious sampling of great jazz in this film if you're a novice to such. Aside from the concert numbers written and performed by Branford Marsalis and the dreamy jazz score by Lee's father, Bill, there are great pieces by John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, among others. A cool, sexy film. -
youngman4412 December 2006This is a very entertaining movie and it is underrated. The characters, story and music are captivating.
However, I think part of the reason for the lower ratings is the the poor camera effects. Lee focuses in on characters at times, as though they are standing and talking to a camera by themselves in some sterile room, such that it actually cheapens the film. There is a real lack of realism to this technique - it reminds me of 1960's style TV shows like Batman. It gives a feel that they ran out of money and when they had to go back and re-shoot the scene, they did so on the cheap. A minority may find this unique or appealing, but no great movie or director will use this technique. The filming with multiple characters in the shot is generally very good. But, the movie could have been better without these flaws.
The writing at times is exceptional. There are great lines, as well as very entertaining dialogue. The scenes between Denzel and Snipes are exude an extraordinary power and they offer an exceptional dynamic to the movie as a whole. The female characters are also very compelling. "Clark" (Cynda Williams) is extraordinarily attractive and the movement of the character through the course of the movie is well done.
It is difficult not to be captivated by this film. The positive cultural dynamic it captures is one that Americans can only hope to be present. Yet, one gets the feeling that reality is closer to the darker elements the movie exposes. Yet, there is ultimately a very positive message of love, responsibility. -
lee_eisenberg27 November 2018Spike Lee took a gander at the music world with 1990's "Mo' Better Blues", starring Denzel Washington as a musician. The music is part of the focus, but it also concentrates on the protagonist's relationships with those around him, including some tense ones.
My issue was with the title. It seems like the music throughout the movie was jazz, not blues. Which is not to say that there isn't some great music here. The protagonist and his bandmates really know how to get down when playing the stuff.
All in all, it's a good time. If you love jazz, you can't afford to miss this movie. I would've liked to hear Samuel L. Jackson use the word that he's presumably supposed to use in every movie, though. -
Rhythm-24 December 1998One of Spike Lee's best, "Mo Better Blues" captures the atmosphere of jazz. The soundtrack flows with the acting like a song. Denzel Washington does a great job of portraying a jazzman's quest for perfection, while living in a "real world" full of problems. Being a musician myself, I appreciated the struggle Washington's character was going through. All of Spike Lee's trademark camera angles (which I've disliked in some of his movies) worked to perfection in this movie. Great music, good acting, and a solid plot. Recommend!
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I want to recommend Mo' Better Blues more, at least to a specific crowd, than I can exactly, even though it is a good film. Spike Lee, coming right off of his seminal Do the Right Thing, is highly charged and as striking as ever in his subjective camera and direction. But the characters themselves in his script, more or less, are fairly shallow conventional players in his elaborate show. But elaborate it is, and in the realm of it being a pure jazz movie is where I can recommend this the most. Quite simply, for jazz fans, this is where it's at as far as great soundtracks go, and on top of the sensational tracks that Lee has put together, with the given greats like Coltrane, Davis, and probably Rollins in there somewhere, there's also the final musical score provided by his father, Bill. While it's not as classic and specific for all the right reasons as Do the Right Thing, there's a sense here that Bill Lee reached a high point with the sophistication of his compositions, and had he not passed on could have gone even further with his son in creating memorable orchestrations. So at the least, as a jazz fan personally more than anything, this provides some many fine moments (Lee is also very good at using excellent Coltrane tracks for love scenes, or just talking scenes, or whatever).
Unfortunately Lee doesn't have quite the same control over the sensibilities of his characters. There wasn't really much I cared about with the main character, Bleek Gilliam, played by Denzel Washington, because he's like one of those interesting yet purely shallow, self-absorbed archetypes that one's seen in many other musical dramas. There's also Wesley Snipes as Washington's rival in Bleek's quintet, where the ego rivalries flame up from time to time, usually in a macho, grandiose fashion. Then there's the 'romantic' side to Bleek, where when not practicing his horn he's practicing himself on two ladies, Cynda Williams and Joie Lee, and that he becomes a worse dog than he started out with (as Joie Lee observes, he's a "good dog" at the start, but still a dog, so perhaps one could make the point that it's the progression of a dog in the story). More intriguing, however, than the sexual mind-games that end up getting played on Bleek via his infidelities and the eventual match-up of Clark and Shadow, is Spike Lee's own Giant. Lee shows once again how limited he is as an actor, yet within those limits has carved a niche for himself in his early films that is atypical yet charming and always good for amusement. Here, as in Do the Right Thing, he does give him some dimension, and through the clichéd wormy-guy-who-owes-gambling-debts-to-gangsters sub-plot, there is truth there in how he plays it.
In fact, the acting and Lee's own determined, headstrong direction is not the problem I had with the film. If anything, this is what makes the film quite watchable, even up through the end scenes when the script becomes more and more desperate to make us care about Bleek's fate as a musician &/or lover to Indigo (I didn't care, really, due to Bleek not really earning much human dimension despite him being kinda cool in a slick way early on in the film). The actors are always dependable to follow the emotional lines to a believable fault, which is obviously part of the atmosphere Lee has on this and many other films of his; we can't imagine these characters acting any other way, even if they're a little 'too' theatrical for their own good. And I will probably like watching parts of this on TV again if it comes on just to see those wonderful shots that Lee gets at times, like the circular spin around Washington as he practices playing trumpet with just his fingers miming at the camera, or when Lee is avoiding the hoods and tries to go swiftly past the car waiting for him, or even the very Scorsesean uses of red tinting in the lighting schemes and the usage of slow motion.
So really, Mo' Better Blues has got a lot of things going for it, including a swift, cool sense of humor at times (I loved Robin Harris's bits of stand-up on stage, and the down to earth nature of the band members in smaller scenes), and a soundtrack I'd love to seek out if it were available. But it's also got some issues in how it deals honestly with making them palpable under the circumstances. Maybe that's part of it being a musical or other, but it seemed a little under-cooked despite the 2 hour plus running time. So it's surely worthwhile, if you're a die-hard Lee fan, but it's also something of a slight slump dramatically following the precedent set by the film just before (not that it's an easy film to beat as a director's best). -
I was surprised how much I responded to this movie. I have worked as a jazz trumpet player, and I thought Spike Lee's presentation of the darker side of jazz was brilliant. I myself have had to address many of the problems faced by Denzel Washington's character in this movie, and I think it should be required viewing for aspiring jazz musicians. Why? Not because of the entertainment value, but because of the Truth value (with a capital "T".) Jazz Musicians are artists at the heart, and any good jazz musician has to deal with the necessary tension between the somewhat egotistical act of creating one's art, and the cold realities and consequences of sharing it with an audience. Denzel Washington did a good job of portraying the conflict between his character's narcissism and his relationships. Admittedly selfish, his character is eventually transformed in a powerful and realistic way. Reminiscent of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, Spike Lee has contributed to the popular lore and also to human understanding with this work. (And he also is a good actor!) To me the unique camera angles and choice of sets served to amplify the message of this movie, which transcends race. While I would have preferred a different ending, and I hated to watch the violence, I am forced to acknowledge the realism in the way this movie ends in a positive way. I believe I am a better person for having watched this movie.
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jed-estes4 September 2006As with several of Spike Lee's earlier films I just do not get them as they are not part of the lifestyle I lead. But that is not to say they are not stunningly beautiful and full of charm. This film says a lot about trumpet music and jazz, it's just not my cup of tea, I would much rather watch Lee's more racial driven films. This film marks the first of four collaborations that Spike Lee and Denzele Washington have conferred on together and it is their least effective, but every one has got to start somewhere. If they had not done this together than the camaraderie that is felt on the better films Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man, could never had been achieved. This film is basically just the building block to bridge the gap until Spike and his troupe are better prepared to take on better ideas to be put into film.
This film has a great supporting cast as do most of Lee's films. It's got Sam L. Jackson, Joie Lee, John Turrtoro, Bill Nunn, and Robin Harris among others. These people are all great actors and always leave an impression on a film even when the film is not that good. This film could have been made better if it had not relied completely on Denzel's character to drive the story, if it had been opened up and given the other actors time to prevail their characters than the film would have been helped by what they could have brought to the table. As the film is it just stays stagnate and not much happens. If you want to hear some good music watch, i would suggest a CD though, stay away if you want a solid story. -
mjneu598 December 2010Spike Lee's latest 'joint' is a jazz variation of 'She's Gotta Have It', with the genders reversed: maladjusted trumpeter Bleek Gilliam (Denzel Washington) juggles two lovers while indulging an almost neurotic addiction to his music. His compulsive behavior is, presumably, a consequence of strict childhood practice habits, but if all work and no play have made Bleek a dull boy, the same can't be said of the film itself: Lee's self-conscious homage to music and fatherhood suffers from a dizzy overabundance of distracting, Scorsese-influenced 'style'. The film has been criticized for its stereotypical supporting roles, but the primary characters are likewise only skin deep. Except for some early childhood Freudian motivation, Bleek remains more or less a cipher, and his contrived, fantasy redemption (after a series of false endings, each one more lame than the last) seems tacked on only to provide a neat, symmetrical resolution.
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davisdontaye17 October 2006One of the best film's Spike Lee has ever created. Denzel Washington plays Bleek Gilliam, a selfish musician who only listens to his music. He cheats on his women and wants the spotlight only to himself. On his road to redemption he encounters betrayal, lies, and greed before he finds happiness. A happiness that comes at a heavy price. Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes give superb performances in their roles. The supporting cast members also give terrific performances in this film. The supporting cast members include Giancarlo Esposito, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Nunn and Spike Lee. Spike Lee gives these characters enough personality to keep this movie entertaining. Each member adds enough color commentary to the film making this a joyous event from beginning to end. Add this movie to your video collection if you haven't already.
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dennisendean19 November 2021As with several of Spike Lee's earlier films I just do not get them as they are not part of the lifestyle I lead. But that is not to say they are not stunningly beautiful and full of charm. This film says a lot about trumpet music and jazz, it's just not my cup of tea, I would much rather watch Lee's more racial driven films. This film marks the first of four collaborations that Spike Lee and Denzele Washington have conferred on together and it is their least effective, but every one has got to start somewhere. If they had not done this together than the camaraderie that is felt on the better films Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man, could never had been achieved. This film is basically just the building block to bridge the gap until Spike and his troupe are better prepared to take on better ideas to be put into film.
This film has a great supporting cast as do most of Lee's films. It's got Sam L. Jackson, Joie Lee, John Turrtoro, Bill Nunn, and Robin Harris among others. These people are all great actors and always leave an impression on a film even when the film is not that good. This film could have been made better if it had not relied completely on Denzel's character to drive the story, if it had been opened up and given the other actors time to prevail their characters than the film would have been helped by what they could have brought to the table. As the film is it just stays stagnate and not much happens. If you want to hear some good music watch, i would suggest a CD though, stay away if you want a solid story. -
slightlymad2214 August 2023Continuing my plan to watch every movie in Denzel Washington's filmography I come to 1990's Mo Better Blues
Man was this a tough watch, I struggled to sit through this one. Denzel, Wesley Snipes and Giancarlo Esposito are all good, but the movie is a slog to watch.
Samuel L Jackson has a supporting role as one of the bookies enforcers.
I actually thought about turning this movie off on more than one occasion. The first time that's happened since starting to work my way through all of Denzel's movies
Mo Better Blues was the years 75th highest grossing movie of 1990, earning $16 million dollars. -
lesyle11 July 2003I really enjoyed this film. Everyone has a Bleek in his life: someone whose love of his life is all he knows, wants to know, etc. However, we always lose the love of our life for various reasons. Then, what do you do when the love of your life is suddenly taken from you? That is this film's theme. Bleek's only love was jazz music. Bleek's music was the only thing that mattered to him. Music overrode everything: an incompetent manager (who was his best friend), his lovers, and the contentment of his bandmates (the money issue which is related to having an incompetent manager). When Bleek lost the love of his life (watch the film to learn why), he was forced to make some hard choices about his life and face some unpleasant truths (something we've all had to do).
I enjoyed the score and the jazz pieces included in this film (after all, Bleek played the trumpet). I really liked the cinematography in this film because the film showed the beauty of New York City - the brownstones, the Manhattan skyline (a brief glimpse), the Brooklyn Bridge, etc. -
I watched Mo Better Blues and I thought it's held up well over the years- hard to believe it's over 30 years old now. The camera work is impressive and the design of the film is fantastic. I was stunned by the use of colour in the scene where both of Denzel Washington's love interests come to hear him play at his club.
I want to say I wanted to watch the film as someone who's loved jazz all my life. The music is very good. I wanted to see more about what jazz meant to Bleek, Shadow, and their bandmates. Bleek's dedication to his music is well portrayed, but I wanted to know how more about how they felt about playing jazz. There are several shots of posters on their walls with Coltrane and Duke Ellington and albums by Billie Holiday in their apartments. I wanted to know more about their inspirations and their drive to play jazz in the 1990s. It would have been great if the film also revealed more about the jazz scene in New York and Brooklyn including more about the fans as well as the performers.
Mo Better Blues reminded me of Born to be Blue, the 2015 biography of trumpist Chet Baker. Born to Be Blue dramatised how Baker was beaten by thugs who smashed his teeth and face, and how he struggled to regain his ability to play Mo Better Blues only shows Bleek's anguish and his attempts to recover fairly briefly: it seems Bleek gives up at his first appearance despite the support from Shadow and his former manager Giant. I was wondering how Bleek supports himself and his family afterwards. I really didn't believe Indigo would take him back after her telling Bleek how selfish he is and how she realises he only wants her because he wants her to save his life - and she must be aware his other old girlfriend is now with Shadow making a career for herself as a singer. It's nice the film ends on a happy note, but it felt a bit too pat.
One thing I want to add: Lee faced criticism for his portrayal of the Jewish clubowners. I cringed when the Flatbush brothers appeared. They are stereotypes: negative stereotypes. I'm not objecting that they were portrayed as being stingy towards Bleek, Giant, and their quartet. There were many performers who felt that they were exploited by clubowners and record industry personnel, and Giant is a poor manager. But Giant is not a stereotype of a bad manager or a stereotype of a gambling addict, he's a person. The other characters are portrayed as having more than one layer. Not Mo and Josh Flatbush: they are exactly alike, obsessed with numbers and money. Even worse they're portrayed with big glasses and big noses. I felt very let down by Spike Lee. -
lastliberal2 April 2008Focus, my man, focus. Your world is about to come tumbling down around you. While you are playing that trumpet, your sax player (Wesley Snipes) is scheming about his own band, the two lovers (Joie Lee & Cynda Williams) that you are torn between are tired of being ignored, and your manager (Spike Lee) is so deep into the bookie that he will never get out and drag you down with him.
Work and love. How many of us have been torn between the two. We focus on one and the other slides. Denzell Washington (Traing Day, Glory) is Bleek Gilliam, the leader of a jazz quintet who is so focused on his music that he ignored all that is going on around him until it is too late. What do you do the day after your world comes crashing down? Where do you go when facing the brick wall? Bleek has to face these questions, as we all do at one time or another.
Sure there is great music to listen to in this film, but there is so much more to ponder while listening. -
DunnDeeDaGreat27 November 2001Denzel Washington and Spike Lee remind me of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi when it comes to actors and directors.This is the first film they worked on together and it was a success. The storyline and music are all great and Spike continues to make good movie. I give this film ***8 out of ****.
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Written and performed by the Branford Marsalis Quartet and Terence Blanchard, the soundtrack to this self-conscious homage to jazz musicians was directed by the highly lauded Spike Lee. The film tells the story of a driven trumpeter named Bleek Gilliam, played with his usual flair by the great Denzel Washington doing an admirable job of rapping and seeming to actually play the trumpet. Lee cast himself as the annoying manager of Gilliam's jazz ensemble, and you really have to concentrate on the music to sit through their tedious arguments, not to mention scenes from Gilliam's neurotic love life. The movie was hailed by many critics as a penetrating look at the life of a jazz musician, but it is more important for its music than for its insight.
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jzappa26 October 2006In Spike Lee's fourth film, Denzel Washington proves early in his career that he is capable of being funny and romantic in a more modest film than Glory or Cry Freedom, the music is breezy and romantic and consistent, jazzy and colorful cinematography, and another characteristic Spike Lee touch, which is his gift for drawing from his actors stunningly realistic performances. In some ensemble scenes, the dialogue seems like improvisation. Maybe it is.
Mo' Better Blues is a good, steady, effective drama, a portrait of a complex and overwrought musician and the indecision and jealousy that gradually eat away at his life, but it lacks the passion and brazen provocative nature of nearly all of Spike Lee's other films.
The cast, once again, is brilliant. Denzel is very very very authentic, faithful, graphic, and lifelike. My brother is a jazz musician and I've met several of his fellow musicians. I'm seasoned when it comes to jazz musicians. Take my word for it, Denzel's performance is entirely true. Snipes is brilliantly, swaggeringly audacious. Joie Lee comprehensively draws our sympathy towards her sensitive, self-conscious character and away from the elegant and subtly compelling Cynda Williams. Spike Lee himself is one of the most compelling characters. Samuel L. Jackson entertains in one of his millions and billions of early bit roles.
If I were to say, "I'm in the mood for a Spike Lee joint," this would not be one of the first films I pick, but it's different and enthralling. I mean, it's directed by Spike Lee, so how can it not be? -
It's got striking colours/visuals, good music, and of course Denzel Washington being as charismatic and magnetic a screen presence as always, but otherwise I felt a bit distant from this.
There wasn't much about the story or characters that I got invested in, and at over two hours, the relaxed pacing and lack of a strong narrative became challenging.
There are redeeming qualities, like all Spike Lee movies I've seen (granted, I haven't seen his universally panned Oldboy remake), but if I were to rank all his films, this would probably be near the bottom, unfortunately. -
st-shot22 March 2008Things get dull early an often in this in this mawkish jazz bio fiction written and directed by Spike Lee.
Bleek Gilliam (Denzell Washington) is a happenin' jazz trumpeter that fronts a quintet packing them in at Below the Underdog. His problems include an incompetent manager, a stage hogging sax player and two girlfriends that he's playing musical mattress with. The real love of his life though is his trumpet and his music. The band's manager, Giant, has a dangerous gambling problem and proves to be an ineffective negotiator with greedy club owners and would be best jettisoned but Bleek remains loyal for as long as possible. It will prove to his undoing as an artist but ironically contribute to his growth as a man.
As Bleek, Denzell Washington is all wrong as the ambitious trumpeter with a babe on each arm. He's too sweet a guy to be so self centered about his art, dispensing patience and love to those close to him with a low key remoteness. He simply lacks the fire. Wesley Snipes who plays Henderson the sax player would have been far more suited for the role but even he would have to mouth the flaccid throw away scribblings of Lee's torpid dialogue. As Giant, Lee hits the trifecta with an abysmal performance to match his writing and direction. Loosely attempting to mirror the grubby but sympathetic Ratso Rizzo to Bleek's Joe Buck he adopts a limp and even the "I'm walkin' here" moment from Midnight Cowboy. In this case you wish the taxi would run him over and be done with it.
Lee's script is all tepid argument, heavy handed ribbing and veiled insult with some requisite clumsy editorializing that Lee has to inject to remain down. The scenes between the band members backstage and in rehearsal lack spark and are only surpassed in dreariness by the Bleek, Giant conversations that have an ad lib look and go in circles. Completing this travesty is Lee's pretentious visual style. Tracking shots, zooms and pans are wasted and without significance to scenes. They just wander.
Blues is Lee's love letter to jazz (made implicit by the mountains of memorabilia plastered all over the sets) and it's all sentimental clap trap that lacks passion and verve. Jazz on film is better served by Tavernier's "Round Midnight" and Eastwood's "Bird" which get below the surface, reveal more sides of the form, the pain behind it in addition to offering infinitely superior lead performances by Forrest Whitaker and the real deal Dexter Gordon. This Spike Lee Joint doesn't even offer a mild buzz. It's some pretty bad homegrown. -
philthegreatone-786-6305825 February 2020Denzel Washington plays Bleek Gilliam a jazz musician who is going back forth between two women. He also has a manager he has known since childhood. This film has great vibriant colours and a great soundtrack. This is one of Denzel Washingtons best performances I think. I love the way Spike moves the camera and pushes in on actors. This film has a lot of life too it and some great jazz numbers. I also love the costumes the actors wear, they are great and very colourful. I really enjoyed this film. Another great film from Spike Lee.
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leonblackwood26 November 2016Review: I've never really been a big fan of Spike Lee's movies, mainly because I don't like his directing and writing methods, and his pro-black message was used to death but I thought that it would be good to see how far Denzel Washington has come in his career. He definitely gave this movie this all, and the instruments were played very well by the top actors but I got a bit fed up with the flow of the movie because it seemed to be going round in circles. It wasn't as pro-black and most of Spike Lee's earlier movies, thank God but it did seem extremely dated, and for a two hour movie, nothing really happened. For those of you who don't remember the plot, the film is based around a trumpet player, Bleek Gilliam (Denzel Washington), who regularly plays in a club with his band, and is managed by his best friend, Giant (Spike Lee), who is addicted to gambling and hasn't paid the band for a long time. As Bleek is the leader of the band, everyone turns to him for there wages, knowing that there manager is useless but Bleek stays loyal to his friend, whilst trying to hold a relationship with Indigo (Joie Lee) and Clarke (Cynda Williams). With the debt collectors constantly after Giant, Bleek tries to steer him in the right direction but after a heated alteration outside the club, Bleek's life is changed forever and his band decide to go it alone. That is the basis of the storyline, which did have some emotional moments but nothing memorable. Wesley Snipes (Shadow), was the same as he is in a lot of his movies and the rest of the cast were very average but Denzel stood out from the rest, and I haven't seen him show this side of his acting skills since this movie. With that aside, I still wasn't impressed with the film, in this day and age but it was good to see some top black actors together on screen, before they hit the big time. Average!
Round-Up: I'm not a total Spike Lee hater, because I did enjoy Inside Man, 25th Hour, The Original Kings Of Comedy, Summer of Sam and Clockers but the rest of his projects, really wasn't my cup of tea. Do the Right Thing was a big deal when it was released in 1989, mainly because of it's pro-black message and the great soundtrack, which went down well in the urban market but he seemed to get a bit big headed after releasing Jungle Fever, Malcolm X and Crooklyn. He also had a few scraps with fellow directors in the media, and his movies started to take less money at the box office, mainly because people was getting a bit fed up with the same theme, so after releasing Girl 6 and He Got Game, he decided to make a movie about true events called Summer Of Sam. 25th Hour was also a change of direction for Spike Lee, and he started to turn his career to TV for a while. He still was making controversial comments in the media, and after his poor attempt of a remake of Oldboy in 2013, which lost the studio $25million, he has been out of the limelight for some time. Personally, I think that he is his worse enemy, like Quentin Taratino and Mel Gibson, because they are known for the wrong reasons. They are all talented directors but there mouth seems to get them in trouble. Anyway, it's a watchable movie but not a classic.
Budget: $10million Worldwide Gross: $16million
I recommend this movie to people who are into their music/romance/dramas, starring Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito, Robin Harris, Joie Lee, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, Cynda Williams, Nicholas Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson, Charlie Murphy and Doug E. Doug. 4/10 -
Wazoo26 April 2000Spike Lee is, in my opinion, one of the most exciting young filmmakers to emerge in the last 20 years. While "Mo' Better Blues" is not as wonderful as "Do the Right Thing" or "Malcolm X," it still deserves considerable recognition as one of his more solid efforts. The story is a bit uneven, but the acting and the music more than make up for it.
Denzel Washington plays Bleek Gilliam, a NYC trumpet player who fronts his own jazz quintet to sell-out crowds at a local club. He's managed by Giant (played by Lee), an irresponsible compulsive gambler who is only Bleek's manager because they're childhood friends. Meanwhile, Bleek is seeing two different women (played by Joie Lee [Spike's real-life sister] and Cynda Williams), and is torn between his passion for music and his inability to control his relationships.
Things go haywire when Bleek's sax player, Shadow (Wesley Snipes), vies for the affections of one of Bleek's women, promising her fortune and fame as a jazz singer since Bleek only cares about himself anyway.
Giant's gambling problems, Bleek's convictions as a "serious" musician, and the tightrope one walks between love and professional dedication are themes all visited in this exciting, vibrant film.
Besides the wonderful performances (by Washington, Snipes, and the always-underrated Lee standby Giancarlo Esposito, among others), Ernest Dicekrson's cinematography is stunning, and the music -- performed in real life by Branford Marsalis, who has a cameo in the film -- is dazzling. The way the "band" mimes the performances is thoroughlly convincing (although it must be noted that Bleek's drummer is played by Jeff "Tain" Watts, a real jazz drummer who actually performs on the tracks themselves).
If you're a jazz lover and a lover of Spike Lee's movies, check this out -- you'll be glad you did.