On first viewing Bertrand Tavernier's 1986 film 'Round Midnight I immediately hailed it as the best film about jazz ever made, and I am delighted to report that 15 years later my opinion is unchanged. It's 1959 in Paris, and aged and ailing tenor saxman Dale Turner struggles to regain his footing in both life and music with the help of young French fan Francis Borler, who opens his heart and his home to the downtrodden legend. Jazz great Dexter Gordon (who was also ailing, dying just a few years later) gives an extraordinary, Oscar-worthy performance as Turner, in a quietly moving and frequently funny film highlighted by an Academy Award-winning score by co-star Herbie Hancock. A love letter to jazz and the people whose lives were forever changed by it, 'Round Midnight sports great mastering and great music presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Our highest recommendation. Editor's Choice. (S. C. Sickles)
'Round Midnight
Warner, 131 min., R, $19.98 Vol. 16, Issue 3
'Round Midnight
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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