Spike lee is too passionate and distinctive a film maker to make a lousy movie. But the final product, a slick, glossy drama with hiphop jazz provided by gangstarr no less, is just as superficial as the. Say hey, beneath the underdog by branford marsalis, mo better blues, again never by bill lee, performed by the branford marsalis quartet, with terence blanchard. There are scenes that seem incompletely thoughtout, improvised dialog that sounds more like improvisation than dialog, and those strange narrative bookends at the top and bottom of the movie. Talented trumpeter bleek gilliam denzel washington is obsessed by his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends, indigo joie lee and clarke cynda williams. Academy awardwinning actor denzel washington gives a riveting performance in spike lees breathtaking film on music and love. Talented trumpeter bleek gilliam denzel washington is obsessed by. Mo better blues 1990 cast and crew financially irresponsible giant spike lee manages a jazz group, but his sax player, shadow wesley snipes, wants to replace him with a better businessman. All blues by miles davis, footprints by wayne shorter, performed by miles davis. The film focuses on themes of friendship, loyalty, honesty, causeandeffect, and ultimately salvation. Both liked the film and gave it thumbs up but did feel that it wasnt as. What happened to make mo better blues so trite in its depiction of artists and so. Branford marsalis quartet featuring terence blanchard discogs. And giant has a major gambling problem, complete with thugs who periodically make.
Watch mo better blues starring denzel washington in this drama on directv. Branford marsalis quartet featuring terence blanchard. Talented trumpeter bleek gilliam washington is obsessed by his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends indigo joie lee and clarke cynda williams. The lifestyles of the artistic and the exploited presenting a jazz artist with skills for music but not for life. Get mo better blues dvd and bluray release date, trailer and movie stats. Do the right thing 1989, mo better blues 1990, and jungle fever 1991, for which jackson garnered the first best supporting actor award ever bestowed by the cannes film festival judges for his riveting performance as a hardcore drug addict. Without giving away too much, i was shocked that the hero here was found to clark kent leanings more than superman ones. Music from mo better blues 1990 film soundtrack edition. Bleek gilliam has a promising career as a member of his own jazz quartet, the bleek quintet. This movie is more style over substance but what great style. The interior is a studio set, but the exterior is greenwich village s cherry lane theater, 38 commerce street, between bedford and barrow streets, dressed as west 52nd street in the fifties. It features the music of the branford marsalis quartet and terence blanchard on.
Bleek grows into adulthood and forms his own band the. Mo better blues has a set of interesting characters that i enjoyed following. Mo better blues is rich with vibrant hues and denzel washingtons impassioned performance, although its straightforward telling lacks the political punch fans. I think that is what i was expecting from mo better blues and i think that is what didnt seem to make it as enjoyable since it was less focused on the music. Denzel washington and spike lee in mo better blues 1990. Mo better blues is a 1990 american musical comedy drama film starring denzel washington, wesley snipes, and spike lee, who also directed. Later in the day while he is practicing his trumpet, another woman named clarke bentancourt cynda williams visits him.
Mo better blues academy awardwinning actor denzel washington gives a riveting performance in spike lees breathtaking film on music and love. Again never is a ballad, also moving, and the spoken work by wesley snipes and denzel washington about love songs is great. Mo better blues 1990 cast and crew financially irresponsible giant spike lee manages a jazz group, but his sax player, shadow wesley snipes, wants to replace him with a. Mo better blues trailer directed by spike lee and starring denzel washington, spike lee, wesley snipes, giancarlo esposito, robin harris. So although mo better blues, his latest, is a misfire, there is a personality behind every camera shot. Denzel washington, spike lee, wesley snipes, giancarlo. Eventhough this film ends on a good note, i guess for me, when cynda williams sang. 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 lees other films. But other than that, mo better blues was a good movie, rating it a 45.
What struck me most about this film was what it shared with the film. Mo better blues 1990 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Denzel washingtons movies ranked, from worst to best. Soundtrack consists of john coltranes compositions and part of mo better blues. The style reminds me of comic books which makes the movie lighter than youd expect from the story. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend spike lee, bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined. Dec 14, 2016 denzel washingtons movies ranked, from worst to best. Jan 09, 2012 mo better blues trailer directed by spike lee and starring denzel washington, spike lee, wesley snipes, giancarlo esposito, robin harris. Watch mo better blues online stream full movie directv. Jul 08, 2015 remarkable scene from spike lees mo better blues featuring denzel washington as a trumpet player. Say hey and beneath the underdog are the truest jazz jams they sound familiar, maybe there remakes of some famous older cats, and mo better blues is a simple, but excellent combo fo trumpet and sax. Mo better blues is not a great film, but its an interesting one, which is. Mo better blues 1990 full movie download full hd youtube. Overview of mo better blues, 1990, directed by spike lee, with denzel washington, linda hawkins, leon addison brown, at turner classic movies.
Official video content provided by universal studios home entertainment or one of its authorized agents. Mo better blues is a film directed by spike lee with denzel washington, spike lee, wesley snipes, samuel l. Dec 27, 2009 mo better blues clip by the movie mo better blues spike lee 1990 original score composed by bill lee. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comic con sundance film festival toronto. Mo better blues 1990 talented trumpeter bleek gilliam denzel washington is obsessed by his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends indigo joie lee and clarke cynda williams. Furman street, brooklyn heights, brooklyn the beneath the underdog club is a composite. Financially irresponsible giant spike lee manages a jazz group, but his sax player, shadow wesley snipes, wants to replace him with a better businessman. Mo better blues is rich with vibrant hues and denzel washingtons impassioned performance, although its straightforward telling lacks the. The act of passionate love making out of pure lust for eachother great love making that goes on for hours with someone who wants you just as bad as you do them to. Undisputed truth 2012, a oneman show performed by the former.
It follows a period in the life of fictional jazz trumpeter bleek gilliam as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing both his relationships and his playing career. Plus the mambo kings seemed to be a little more intense and guess it helped that i found the two main stars attractive. With mo better blues, the story of a young trumpeters rise to jazzworld stardom, spike lee set out to counter clint eastwoods clicheridden biopic of charlie parker in bird. Rent mo better blues 1990 starring denzel washington and spike lee on dvd and bluray. Talented trumpeter bleek gilliam washington is obsessed by his music and indecisive about his girlfriends indigo joie lee and clarke cynda williams. Rent mo better blues 1990 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Do the right thing 1989, mo better blues 1990, and jungle fever 1991. Hear classic music from mo better blues, 1990, directed by spike lee, with denzel washington, spike lee, wesley snipes, at tcm. Mo better blues is not a supremely confident film like do the right thing, which never took a wrong step. Aug 23, 2012 academy awardwinning actor denzel washington gives a riveting performance in spike lees breathtaking film on music and love. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend spike lee, bleek finds his world more fragile that he ever imagined. This is a good romantic film featuring two of hollywoods biggest stars in denzel and wesley. Pop top 40 by spike lee, branford marsalis, performed by denzel washington, wesley snipes. Mo better blues clip by the movie mo better blues spike lee 1990 original score composed by bill lee.
What struck me most about this film was what it shared with the film called unforgiven. Its available to watch on tv, online, tablets, phone. Mo better blues full full movie streaming mo better blues full movie engsub watch mo better blues full english full movie online mo better blues full film online watch mo better blues full. Mo better blues is rich with vibrant hues and denzel washingtons. Remarkable scene from spike lees mo better blues featuring denzel washington as a trumpet player. It follows a period in the life of fictional jazz trumpeter bleek gilliam played by washington as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing both his relationships and his playing career.
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