It's hard to determine why jazz has become such an often ignored and under-appreciated musical form when it's had so much influence on modern and contemporary music.
The simplest reason is that jazz lacks the conventional excitement and glamour that surrounds other musical forms, namely rock and roll and now hip-hop. Although one can't argue that jazz is old fashioned, producing an image of grandparents dancing and having fun would make any kid cringe. It might've been cool then, but it sure isn't cool now.
This disconnect is unfortunate because no other art form better captures the moment like jazz music. No performance is ever the same, from a subtle shift in tone to a more dramatic key change. Even the musician's mood and very thoughts could alter the song's very essence.
The Bertrand Tavernier-directed Round Midnight captures that simple truth, amplified tenfold by all of the artist's unique features and imperfections. Dale Turner (Dexter Gordon) exemplifies the latter as a universally acclaimed yet troubled tenor saxophonist playing alongside other expatriates, helping to create and shape the bebop style, in postwar Paris.
Francis Borier (François Cluzet) approaches Turner after a long show. Despite Borier's repeated praise for the musician, it takes a few rounds before the friendship really blossoms. The immediate attraction is their love for jazz, but as the movie progresses their true commonality is exposed. Turner and Borier are deeply flawed men. One is an absolute alcoholic. The other is a neglectful father.
While Turner's life seems tragic, Borier's life is truly painful. In the end, Turner's addiction affects mostly himself, with almost every friend and associate resigned to letting the genius fade away. Borier is determined to not let his hero's life end that way, even focusing his attention away from his daughter Berangere (Gabrielle Haker) to help Turner. While Borier means well for everyone, his troubles with raising the daughter that his wife wanted no part of are apparent.
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