BORN TO BE BLUE - Chet Baker biopic

Long awaited Chet Baker film biopic Born to be Blue starring Ethan Hawke comes to Cork! Chet Baker, the world famed trumpeter was at the height of his fame in the 1950s, as a pioneer of the West Coast jazz scene and an icon of cool. By the 1960s, he was washed out due to problems with addiction. Born to be Blue starts off at this point in his life, focusing on a key event during his attempts to stage a comeback that’s been spurred by a new romance with Jane Azuka (Carmen Ejogo). The film is a blend of fact and fiction, and led by a Hawke’s powerful central performance. Writer/director Robert Budreau first explored jazz in film with his 2003 short Dream Recording. A long-time jazz fan, Budreau didn’t become aware of Chet Baker’s life until about five years ago. He connected with his story, and how it related to the running themes of his previous movies. In the early 60s, Baker was approached by producer Dino de Laurentiis to star in a movie as himself. While this never came to be, Budreau persisted with making the film and his efforts have yielded stellar reviews in Rolling Stone Magazine and The Irish Times.