Too many flashbacks
It was hard for me to enjoy the current storyline when I was always being jolted back to another time. I always like Cheadle though.
shareI agree, Don was great. I liked all of the acting. It was well directed and exceeded my expectations.
But I have to say that I loved the flashbacks and editing overall. I believe it was probably the most economical way of expressing the synesthesia (for lack of a better word) that occurs in the avant-garde frame of mind. Its a disassembly of time, like a stone skipping on memories, and how that kind of illogical reflection is how the heart and mind can work in great artists that tap into their psyche, their pain, and bliss. It can work in film, at times, and Cheadle really nailed it for me. I just gotta say the flashbacks really kept me interested in the story, in a way a biography would usually fail to interest me.
I agree that it was not a comfortable experience for most viewers because I believe it disturbed Miles as well, as you'd expect most disorientating insanity can feel. So your reaction, although unfavorable, is probably because it made you feel how Miles was feeling during his five year dysfunctional creative blight.
That's just my sense of it because it was so deliberate each time. I don't believe Cheadle arrived at this shoice early on - it feels like something he did a lot of soul searching on as a Director, and well after most of the film was complete. I'm just guessing. I really need to watch it again.
I agree, Cheadle really did a great job with this film. I had no idea what a talented Director the cat could be. Cheadle is brilliant.