There's not a lot known about the life of Buddy Bolden. How criminal that lack of knowledge is becomes crystal clear in Dan Pritzker's "Bolden." The director has found a way to stitch together the story of a man who should be revered in the halls of music because of his influence on jazz. The film has some biographical holes that will never be filled, but that doesn't stop it from being an imaginative, compelling and lyrical biopic.
Bolden (Gary Carr) and his band were the hottest musicians in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century. Their sound was a mix of ragtime, blues and gospel that was mixed together in such a way that their sound was as fluid as the Mississippi River. Bolden's life of wine, women and song was tainted by mental problems that would eventually land him in an asylum. He's an example of how the line between genius and madness can be so thin that eventually one side can overpower the other.
Not having a linear history to tell the story, Pritzker took a novel approach to the screenplay. He tells Bolden's story from the point of view of the musician in his later years trying to piece together snippets of his life. The memories are often triggered by outside stimuli, such as Bolden hearing his music being performed on the radio by Louis Armstrong (Reno Wilson).
Pritzker never lets the laws of cinema physics hold him down as shown through his willingness to skip around in history when necessary. He also doesn't hesitate to inject fantasy, a pure reflection of the way Bolden's real history has been salted with myths and legends.
Because the script doesn't take a traditional approach, there was more pressure on Carr ("Downton Abbey") to show the sides of Bolden that ranged from a caring person to a tortured soul. The way Carr attacks the cornet is the way a warrior wields a sword. Each movement and breath is both random and purposeful to get the most out of the weapon of choice. Couple that with the original music written, arranged and performed by Wynton Marsalis, and the musical numbers come across with the same power, sexuality and disregard for the rules New Orleans audiences must have heard.
Carr's performance covers the kind of range that either makes or breaks an actor. There is not a single moment in "Bolden" where Carr doesn't have a complete and controlled handle on what he is trying to express. The music format may be unstructured, but Carr builds a solid showing through each strong moment he plays.
It should be noted while Reno Wilson's ("Mike & Molly") performance as Louis Armstrong only fits into the story as a musical trigger, the re-creation of Satchmo's style of playing and speaking is captured with great fervor. The biggest sin of the film is Wilson and Carr never get to share a scene.
That's a small problem for a film that not only stands out as visually mesmerizing but is deeply important in bringing attention to an artist who played such an important part in American music. It's rare when a production is so emotionally explosive it will haunt you long after the final credits while at the same time will have you tapping your feet to a musical style that embraces the irrational.
The big letdown of "Bolden" is it is a reminder the music Bolden played with such unbridled passion has been lost to the ages, as there was only one recording made and it has never surfaced. At least the film is a brilliant reminder of the work.
