Though we’re sure Don Cheadle may never top his role as porn star and hopeful businessman Buck Swope in 1997 flick Boogie Nights (we’re still obsessed with the doughnut shop scene), we are very eager to see the Academy Award–nominated actor take on the role of Miles Davis. In the new biopic Miles Ahead, Cheadle, who directs and wrote the film, stars as the jazz legend during his quiet period, set against the backdrop of the ’70s.
The film has been in the works for years, and takes a very specific look at the legendary musician.
“There are books that chronicle his life and get all the facts down,” Cheadle tells the BBC, “so the [Davis] family were completely down with a representation that was more about creativity than some result-oriented piece that felt like it was the CliffsNotes of his life… to not do something that felt like cookie cutter, but do something that was innovative and impressionistic and felt like cinematic jazz.”
Cheadle has been getting rave reviews for the film (no surprise there), which earlier this month saw a limited release in New York and Los Angeles after a few rounds on the festival circuit. Finally, Miles Ahead is coming to Massachusetts, where it screens on four screens this Friday and another four on April 22.
Those showing the film this weekend are Loews Boston Common (Boston), Coolidge Corner Moviehouse (Brookline), Kendall Square Cinema 9 (Cambridge), and Embassy Cinema 6 (Waltham). Check sites like Fandango for ticket info and screening times, as they may vary.
For those outside Massachusetts, the Miles Ahead website has a list of all its upcoming screenings, including the eight Bay State dates, a handful in Connecticut, one in Vermont (Montpelier’s Savoy Theatre on April 22) and a May screening in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Watch a trailer for the film below.
Miles Ahead screenings in Massachusetts
April 15: Loews Boston Common, Boston
April 15: Coolidge Corner Moviehouse, Brookline
April 15: Kendall Square Cinema 9, Cambridge
April 15: Embassy Cinema 6, Waltham
April 22: Amherst Cinema Arts Center, Amherst
April 22: Loews Liberty Tree Mall 20, Danvers
April 22: Framingham 16, Framingham
April 22: Cape Ann Community Cinema, Gloucester