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'Round Midnight

'Round Midnight

Drama · Music · 1986

Inside the Blue Note nightclub one night in 1959 Paris, an aged, ailing jazzman coaxes an eloquent wail from his tenor sax. Outside, a young Parisian too broke to buy a glass of wine strains to hear those notes. Soon they will form a friendship that sparks a final burst of genius.

Movie details

'Round Midnight

“The music and the magic come together...”

1986 Drama · Music 2h 11m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

Inside the Blue Note nightclub one night in 1959 Paris, an aged, ailing jazzman coaxes an eloquent wail from his tenor sax. Outside, a young Parisian too broke to buy a glass of wine strains to hear those notes. Soon they will form a friendship that sparks a final burst of genius.

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 'Round Midnight?

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

Bertrand Tavernier

Written by

David Rayfiel · Bertrand Tavernier

Dexter Gordon

Dexter Gordon

Dale Turner

François Cluzet

François Cluzet

Francis Borler

G

Gabrielle Haker

Bérangère

Christine Pascal

Christine Pascal

Sylvie

Pierre Trabaud

Pierre Trabaud

le père de Francis

Frédérique Meininger

Frédérique Meininger

la mère de Francis

Liliane Rovère

Liliane Rovère

Madame Queen

Court is in session

Put 'Round Midnight 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 Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

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