This is a biopic on jazz cornetist Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke, who died young in 1931. He was born in Iowa (where his home is a historic building now) and spent some time in Illinois.
Nothing is really shown of Bix's boyhood life, as the story is told from the eyes of a fellow musician/friend Joe to an unnamed girl on a train.
Bix's improv style of playing, by ear, at first is undesirable by those who want him to follow the notes. But soon he becomes the hot thing (Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael and Bing Crosby has mentioned him as an influence) at speakeasies. Instead of playing for other orchestras, Joe and Hoagy try to convince him to start their own band, even though they are still in college. This allows Bix to improvise without being fettered.
His family though feel estranged from him, especially his mother. Bix's brother pleads with him to visit and notices he's drinking more. His alcoholism later causes embarassing scenes. Bix is courted by a famous orchestra leader, but it involves lots of touring, recordings, and radio work. He goes in and out of institutions, but the hard work, combined with Bix's alcoholism, is what ultimately kills him at age 28.
Although this sounds like it could be an interesting character study, some of the acting is unpolished/amateurish and spoken with modern inflections that don't fit the 1920s. The actor playing Bix does a credible job playing/mimicking the music, and the filmmakers made good use of locations in Davenport, Bix's hometown, as well as some nice historical looking ballrooms and dance halls. I think it needed more mature actors (as in actors with more experience) to make this a really good film.
I don't know if anything is meant by the inclusion of black characters, as staff and menial servants, in the film. I'm sure that was a reflection of the class division of the times, but maybe it is also showing how some of them were affected by Bix too, and potentially he influenced black jazz? I don't know, it's just an observation. They weren't just in the background, the film showed them watching Bix from time to time.
There is of course lots of jazz music, whether it's the band/orchestra playing, or soundtrack. The film is more about telling the facts (although from other reviews I read it sounds highly fictionalized) instead of digging into his character/what makes him tick. Many of the actors list this as their only movie role, and the film was made by some Italians, one of whom is a big Bix fan, and played at Cannes almost 20 years ago. I appreciate that fans and amateurs can put together a passion project and make it work. In any case, it is a good piece reflecting the period and brings to light an artist that is not well known outsize jazz circles. The film "Young Man With A Horn" starring Kirk Douglas was a loose re-telling of his life, although it had a happier ending.
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