Excellent movie. Forest Whitaker's performance as Charlie 'Bird' Parker is superb as is Clint Eastwood's directing. A little long but well worth it.
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great actor doing this movie
Added 5/25/2009
watch it too never seen it before did not know that clinton directed this one either thanks again bill
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Go Clint !
Added 4/11/2009
trivia: the recording techniques of this soundtrack was rather revolutionary at the time (late 1980's)(was featured extensively in MIX magazine, among others pro publications). Always have loved this movie, there should be more like it - true stories about great artists. CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THERE ARE EXTRAS ON THIS 2 DISC SET, AND IF SO, WHAT ARE THEY?? Thanks.....
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Mainly For Fans Of Charlie Parker
Added 2/2/2009
The music in here is excellent and makes jazz appealing even to a non-jazz enthusiast like me. It better, because that's what the subject of the film is: jazz, and Charlie Parker, in particular. "Bird" was his nickname, and Parker was a good subject matter for a film - not a pleasant subject most of the time, but for jazz fans the man is a legend.
I thought the acting was good, especially by the two main people: Forest Whitaker, playing Parker, and Diane Venora as wife "Chan."
My major complaint was that it was too long. To make a film over 160 minutes when much of it is a "downer" it tough to sit through. It's generally a story about what can happen to a man who is addicted to drugs, which is what happened to this giant of jazz. That's the part of fhis life that is emphasized,, so it makes this movie a very long, sordid tale, not a happy one.
Unless one is a big jazz aficionado, one viewing of this would be plenty....but it's worth a look.
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A saxophonist who truly altered the direction of jazz history with his music...
Added 1/27/2009
"Bird" traces the life of Charlie Parker, a 1940's soloist jazz great whose improvisation abilities led him to become one of the most acclaimed figure in his own lifetime... However, his self-destructive behavior and association with drugs and alcohol caused him to die before he could fully comprehend the public appreciation of his genius...
Eastwood worked with a cast of relative unknown stars, and managed to create an entire period piece on the relatively low budget show...
Sensitively acted, visually designed, this dramatic story of the troubled life of a man of tremendous warmth and compassion, Eastwood delivers a compelling portrait of an artist with an ambitious presentation of love including a magnificent score, and stunning sound... (The film's sound captured an Oscar.)
Whitaker gives an excellent performance, with an especially inevitable death scene at the age of 34... Diane Venora is impressive as the wife of this great jazz musician... Their last conversation by phone presented the legend Parker's with his conscientious of his near-death, his lost effort, his feeling of loneliness, but also his kindness, his love, and his care to his entire family... A great scene not to be missed!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Excellent movie. Forest Whitaker's performance as Charlie 'Bird' Parker is superb as is Clint Eastwood's directing. A little long but well worth it.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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great actor doing this movie
Added 5/25/2009
watch it too never seen it before did not know that clinton directed this one either thanks again bill
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Go Clint !
Added 4/11/2009
trivia: the recording techniques of this soundtrack was rather revolutionary at the time (late 1980's)(was featured extensively in MIX magazine, among others pro publications). Always have loved this movie, there should be more like it - true stories about great artists. CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THERE ARE EXTRAS ON THIS 2 DISC SET, AND IF SO, WHAT ARE THEY?? Thanks.....
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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