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Born to Be Blue

Born to Be Blue

Drama · Music · 2015

Jazz legend Chet Baker finds love and redemption when he stars in a movie about his own troubled life to mount a comeback.

Movie details

Born to Be Blue

“Love is instrumental”

2015 Drama · Music 1h 37m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

Jazz legend Chet Baker finds love and redemption when he stars in a movie about his own troubled life to mount a comeback.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Born to Be Blue?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Robert Budreau

Written by

Robert Budreau

Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke

Chet Baker

Carmen Ejogo

Carmen Ejogo

Jane/Elaine

Callum Keith Rennie

Callum Keith Rennie

Dick

Stephen McHattie

Stephen McHattie

Dad

Janet-Laine Green

Janet-Laine Green

Mom

Tony Nappo

Tony Nappo

Officer Reid

Janine Theriault

Janine Theriault

Florence

Court is in session

Put Born to Be Blue on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.