Low Down, the jazz movie

    

 

 Low Down is a biopic directed by Flea from the Red Hot Chilipeppers about jazz pianist Joe Albany. It is mainly told through Joe Albany's daughter's point of view. Jo watches and struggles with the fact that her father is a dope addict despite the fact that he's a brilliant musician that's played with the likes of Charlie Parker, Mingus, and Miles Davis. John Hawkes plays Joe Albany and Elle Fanning plays Jo. Peter Dinklage from Game of Thrones plays a neighbor who does midget porn. One thing that I noticed in this movie that was a bit strange but maybe not out of character for a junkie was the fact that in every scene John Hawkes was smoking a cigarette. When it wasn't him it was some other character. In the 70s did everyone just smoke cigarettes and smoke them nonstop at that?
     Next, this film kind of has two parts. There's the first part, which is nice and peaceful and happy. And then there is the second part which is grim and hellish, the fact that he will never quit using. I rather liked the first part because that was where we get to see Joe Albany playing jazz and having fun making music. In addition, we get to see him develop and keep a great relationship with his daughter, despite the fact that he's on probation.
      Moving on, the second part involved Joe Albany going to Europe and making tons of studio records out there. He comes back home and he's happy about his life and his accomplishments playing in Europe. But then we realize that he's back to using again. It's grim and sad but this was the life he chose. Many jazz musicians lived the junkie lifestyle and quit on and off again and this was no exception. He ruined his relationship with his mother and daughter. But in the end Jo even resorted to buying him the stuff he needed so he wouldn't be so sick. The stuff I'm referring to would be the heroin. 
     Lastly, my final thoughts on this movie was that it was more biographical than just a plain old watch it and its over movie. It had a sense of making me really care about these characters, especially Jo, because she had to live through her dad being a junkie jazz piano player all his life. I feel like jazz musicians lived this way in the past because other jazz musicians did it and they felt like they needed to do it to be like them. Or they just did it once, and they're just hooked. I feel like there is such stigma today for people who use dope that you really can't get away with being a junkie. People will laugh at you, shun you, dislike you, and not be your friend anymore. On the other hand, today we have so many celebrities that are doing drugs that maybe it has become acceptable in the mainstream to be a druggie. This movie brings into question the ideals of musicians, actors, celebrities;what is and what is not acceptable? That's what makes this movie so interesting.