Bolden
| Bolden | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Dan Pritzker |
| Written by | Daniel Pritzker David N. Rothschild |
| Produced by | Jonathan Cornick Michele Tayler |
| Starring | Gary Carr Erik LaRay Harvey Ian McShane Michael Rooker Yaya DaCosta Reno Wilson Robert Ri'chard Breon Pugh |
| Cinematography | Neal Norton |
| Edited by | Thomas J. Nordberg Chris Steele-Nicholson |
| Music by | Wynton Marsalis Mark Isham Scott Steiner |
Production company | King Bolden LLC |
| Distributed by | Abramorama |
Release date |
|
Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Bolden is a 2019 American drama film based on the life of cornetist Buddy Bolden (1877–1931). One of the seminal figures in jazz history, Bolden left no surviving recordings, having been committed in 1907 at age 30 to the Louisiana State Insane Asylum, where he spent the rest of his life after a diagnosis of acute alcoholic psychosis.[1]
The musical drama is directed by Daniel Pritzker, and features original music written, arranged and performed by Wynton Marsalis.[2] The film stars Gary Carr as Bolden, and co-stars Erik LaRay Harvey, Reno Wilson, Yaya DaCosta, Ian McShane and Michael Rooker.
The score by Marsalis includes vocalists Catherine Russell, Brianna Thomas, Don Vappie, and instrumentalists including Wycliffe Gordon, Victor Goines, Marcus Printup, and others.[3] The film contains performances by Reno Wilson playing Louis Armstrong (acting and singing).[4]
Bolden was released in theaters on May 3, 2019, by Abramorama.[5]
Cast
[edit | edit source]- Gary Carr as Charles "Buddy" Bolden
- Erik LaRay Harvey as Bartley
- Ian McShane as Judge Leander Perry
- Michael Rooker as Pat McMurphy
- Yaya DaCosta as Nora Bolden
- Reno Wilson as Louis Armstrong
- Robert Ri'chard as George Baquet
- Karimah Westbrook as Alice Bolden
- Breon Pugh as Willie Warner
- Ser'Darius Blain as Willie Cornish
Reception
[edit | edit source]On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of Lua error in Module:Rotten_Tomatoes_data at line 136: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). based on Lua error in Module:Rotten_Tomatoes_data at line 136: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). reviews, with an average rating of Lua error in Module:Rotten_Tomatoes_data at line 136: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value)..[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[7]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ "Two Films Unveil a Lost Jazz Legend", National Public Radio, December 15, 2007. "By most accounts, a mix of alcohol and mental illness sent Bolden into an asylum in 1907; he stayed there until his death in 1931."
- ^ Bolden (Original Soundtrack), at WyntonMarsalis.org
- ^ "Jazz at Lincoln Center Press Release: Tuesday, March 5th, 2019"
- ^ "Reno Wilson Channels Louis Armstrong In 'Bolden'"
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Official website
- Bolden at IMDbLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- 2019 films
- African-American biographical dramas
- African-American drama films
- Films shot in New Orleans
- Films shot in North Carolina
- Films scored by Mark Isham
- Films scored by Wynton Marsalis
- 2010s English-language films
- 2010s American films
- Biographical films about musicians
- English-language biographical drama films
- Biographical film stubs