Born to be Blue

Name: Born to be Blue
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music, Musical
Released: March 25, 2016
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 64
Cast: Callum Keith Rennie, Carmen Ejogo, Ethan Hawke

2016

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Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 34 Ratings

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 34 Ratings

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Born To Be Blue

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: March 25, 2016 | Not Rated

Starring: Callum Keith Rennie, Carmen Ejogo, Ethan Hawke

Summary: Jazz legend Chet Baker (Ethan Hawke) searches for love and redemption when he is approached to star in a movie about his own troubled life in order to mount a comeback in the late 1960s.

Director: Robert Budreau

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Music, Musical

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 97 min

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Critic Reviews

Michael Roffman

Mar 24, 2016

Born to Be Blue serves as an honest and heartfelt ode to not only Chet Baker, but those who revel in the occasional highs and neverending lows that overwhelm the pursuit of art. Read full review

James Mottram

Jul 25, 2016

Boasting a fantastic turn from Ethan Hawke, this is bold indie filmmaking. Budreau and his stars deserve a fanfare. Read full review

Pat Padua

Mar 31, 2016

As the film progresses, its visual resonance with the iconic photographs of Baker feels more organic and less forced. By the final act, it’s chilling how much Hawke has transformed into the late-career musician, looking aged well beyond his years. Read full review

Noel Murray

Mar 24, 2016

By reducing Baker's story to just a couple of pivotal years, Budreau makes every moment matter, including a tense final scene that treats the preparation for a performance like a duel at high noon. Like Baker himself, Born to Be Blue finds drama in minimalism. Read full review

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Mar 23, 2016

While there isn’t much to distinguish Born To Be Blue’s dramatic stakes from any number of stories about self-destructive, self-centered artists (or “movies about jazz musicians,” as they’re more commonly known), the film is given a spark of life by the inspired casting of Ethan Hawke. Read full review

The Guardian Benjamin Lee

Sep 18, 2015

Born to be Blue is a curious mixture of fact and fiction, cliche and originality, style and emotion – it never truly soars but by throwing the ingredients of Baker’s life together and producing something different, it’s never less than intriguing. Read full review

Chuck Bowen

Mar 22, 2016

Robert Budreau strip-mines the life of an amazing musician for the purpose of mounting yet another comeback story. Read full review

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User Reviews

Lyn

Apr 6, 2017

Subtle, understated and bleak, this is another story about the intersection of music and addiction. It doesn't quite paint a complete picture of either, in Chet Baker's case. But Ethan Hawke gives his usual stellar portrayal of nervous energy, insecurity and underlying pain. A brief view ofSubtle, understated and bleak, this is another story about the intersection of music and addiction. It doesn't quite paint a complete picture of either, in Chet Baker's case. But Ethan Hawke gives his usual stellar portrayal of nervous energy, insecurity and underlying pain. A brief view of his family back in Oklahoma hints at the origins of all those ... not that it mitigates the frustration you feel at another tremendous talent ravaged by addiction. Haunting though it is, I don't think the music in the film matches up to Baker's. But its greatest achievement might be sending people to Baker's recordings -- or at least to YouTube -- which I promise you will be a beautiful, if melancholy, experience.… Expand

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Spangle

Oct 15, 2016

Far from your typical musical biopic, Born to Be Blue tells the tragic tale of jazz legend Chet Baker. Plagued with heroin addiction, but blessed with a musical gift, Baker is a truly tragic figure brought to life by Ethan Hawke. With a knack for telling a quality story that adequatelyFar from your typical musical biopic, Born to Be Blue tells the tragic tale of jazz legend Chet Baker. Plagued with heroin addiction, but blessed with a musical gift, Baker is a truly tragic figure brought to life by Ethan Hawke. With a knack for telling a quality story that adequately blends Baker's earlier days with the beginning of his resurgence, Born to Be Blue manages to feel wholly unique in its biographical approach to a story that is largely pretty typical in the musical biopic subgenre.

In all of these films, a talented musician cheats on his women and does drugs to the point of being a hopeless addict. Scenes of adultery and drug use are juxtaposed with that musician turning in tremendous performance after tremendous performance. The end result is a heart wrenching look at the marriage of abuse and talent. Born to Be Blue touches on a lot of these same notes, but is largely quite unique. With flashbacks taken from a film about his own life done by Baker (Hawke) put shoulder-to-shoulder with scenes from the "modern" day of Baker making his comeback, the film's narrative never feels stale. Instead, its focus on his drug abuse feels largely in-reflection as he tries to move past it. Yet, at the same time, it shows the siren call of the drugs and the feeling of inadequacy that haunts musicians who have convinced themselves they need the drugs to perform. While he most certainly still battles drug use in the "modern" day, the musings and explanation as to why it is addictive (beyond it being just naturally addictive) to talented musicians elevates Born to Be Blue above classic musician biopics. It does not just show him using drugs, which would be deeply affecting on its own. Instead, it takes it a step further and shows him doing drugs, while explaining why he uses them, which practically rips your heart out.

In the lead role, Ethan Hawke is tremendous. I do not know if it was his real singing voice (I assume the trumpet was not him, maybe I am wrong), but he was terrific. Even if none of the music was him, his performance was still terrific. He really brings Baker to you and makes you feel empathy for him as you watch his downfall, rise, and self-medication. From his portrayal, Hawke makes the viewer root for Baker, even if you know he will trip and fall over-and-over again.

Visually, the film is very good. With lush blue hues touching many of the shots, Born to Be Blue imbues the film with the sadness and heartache felt by Baker. As he performs, the film is most prominently covered with blue, showcasing how something that should bring him so much instead brings so much agony given the self-doubt and addiction that haunts him as a result. The jazz music score itself even proves quite haunting at times with solemn notes accompanying many scenes.

As a whole, Born to Be Blue is a pretty good film with a killer lead performance from Ethan Hawke, as well as terrific use of color and a unique approach to a well-trodden tale of drug abuse by musicians.… Expand

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Cinemax

Feb 11, 2018

Es una película sobre la vida del genial tompetista Chet Baker, si bien es cierto que esta película es tu primer contacto con este músico no te habrá sorprendido su vida, ya que solo cuenta una estrecha parte de ella. Para los demás que si lo hayan conocido anteriormente, seguramente lesEs una película sobre la vida del genial tompetista Chet Baker, si bien es cierto que esta película es tu primer contacto con este músico no te habrá sorprendido su vida, ya que solo cuenta una estrecha parte de ella. Para los demás que si lo hayan conocido anteriormente, seguramente les haya respondido a un par de cuestiones. Aun así creo que estas películas biográficas relatan la inseguridad de los protagonistas, solventándolas con drogas. Algo que no creo que sea real. Ya que ni Mile Davis ni Johnny Cash tuvieran algún problema de seguridad en el escenario. Por lo que creo que en esta parte, esta profundamente equivocada.
Por el elenco de la película y sus interpretaciones solo debo aplaudir.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

LeZee

Aug 4, 2016

Behind this man's success there was a woman and other things.

This is not a bad semi-biographical music-drama with a little romance in it, but many of us have no idea of its existence because it is not a Hollywood. For me it was just an above average, because of the first 30 minutes. InBehind this man's success there was a woman and other things.

This is not a bad semi-biographical music-drama with a little romance in it, but many of us have no idea of its existence because it is not a Hollywood. For me it was just an above average, because of the first 30 minutes. In those narrations it was very boring, you know a film needs a good opening and this film's first impression failed. But next one hour, till the final scene was much better. Except I hated the whispering dialogues which this film had everywhere.

I don't know who is Chet Baker, thanks to this film for introducing him to me. This story is no special compared to other biopics related to music and singing. Like fame and drugs taking over the career where one struggles to rise back from the fall. This is the same old crap, except it is a jazz theme, but everything was lightly portrayed without making much complication. I mean it centres only on the romance and music, everything else was never given preference. Except in parts where the couple seeks support from the outside world like the opportunities and meeting their parents.

The film focused only a certain stage of the life of Chet. It is very sad not knowing his earlier life as well as his Europe settlement in the later on which looks much more interesting than what they narrated in this. Ethan Hawke was great as usual and so his co-stars. There's no harm for once viewing, but some people feel it more depressing than enjoyable or entertaining. So the film is for the selected audience and make sure you're one of them before going for it.

6/10… Expand

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smiyamot

Aug 21, 2016

Another story about the insecure musician (Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams) who needs drugs or alcohol to perform at his best. Is it their parents who ingrained the insecurity that plagued them all their lives? Don't know, the movie didn't get into it.

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DawdlingPoet

Nov 28, 2021

First off, it didn't take me long to notice that the dialogue was frustratingly hushed almost from the get-go. Some dialogue I couldn't quite catch - it almost warrants subtitles at times, as the speech is so both quiet/subdued and spoken somewhat fast - thats something thats a bit of aFirst off, it didn't take me long to notice that the dialogue was frustratingly hushed almost from the get-go. Some dialogue I couldn't quite catch - it almost warrants subtitles at times, as the speech is so both quiet/subdued and spoken somewhat fast - thats something thats a bit of a bugbear with me.

Its a somewhat understated film but I suppose due to that, I felt the plot seemed a little thing at times. The main performance by Ethan Hawke as Chet Baker is pretty good, although I wouldn't say any of the other performances stood out especially. The music is pleasant enough - what you'd expect, I suppose, of jazz music from the 50s and 60s or thereabouts. I guess you could say it has a bit of style in terms of some of the flashback scenes of Chet performing at shows in the past, presumably during his heyday, appearing in black and white. Its not a bad watch as such but it didn't entirely work for me, personally.… Expand

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Gamzguy17

Aug 21, 2021

A commendable performance by Ethan Hawke as the cool jazz great is not enough to carry a screenplay that decides to gloss Chet Baker as another cliché artist with an addiction problem coupled with romance issues.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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