Review of the film 'Blaze' (2018)

This is a biographic film about Michael David Fuller, a country music songwriter, singer and

guitar player from Arkansas, United States. Fuller, dead at 39, is known for his stage name Blaze Foley, and also Deputy Dawg.

The screenplay is based on the memories of Sybil Rosen, Blaze's girlfriend for two years, so it focuses primarily on that two-year period in which Blaze happened to start his career as country singer and songwriter, and covers all of their relationship from the start to the end. But the script keeps time-shifting between several scenes on Blaze's fourteen-year career, and even after his death. We see Blaze performing in a number of places, getting to know and befriend other musicians, and being in a troublesome contract to some rich oilmen from Texas. Also, we see his tragic death, and his friend Townes Van Zandt speaking about him in the radio.

Ethan Hawke direction is a slow-paced one, good for drama. The most outstanding aspect of the film is the cinematography from Steve Cosens, which offers us images so exquisite that makes worthwhile to watch this film on its own.

Big, fat Ben Dickey plays the Blaze character, including the musical scenes where he plays the guitar and sings the songs with fitting style. Dickey plays Blaze as an easy man, and his interpretation is powerful enough to make the film good, but he's a long cry away from the real Blaze. Dickey doesn't resemble the real Blaze, not in the size, nor in the voice. Also, it doesn't help that even though the film goes through the fourteen years of career of Blaze, he's always shown wearing a beard and never the moustache Blaze was most known for.

As for the rest of the acting, Alia Shawkat is just about, and Charlie Sexton is excellent.

All in all, a good film but one that disappoints by failing to represent adequately enough the titular character. 3 out of 5.

Title:	Blaze
Genre:	Biographic
Year:	2018
Nationality:	USA
Colour:	Colour
Director:	Ethan Hawke
Writer:	Ethan Hawke & Sybil Rosen, based on Sybil Rosen's memories.
Cast:	Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Charlie Sexton, Josh Hamilton, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Linklater, Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn, Gurf Morlix, Ethan Hawke, Alynda Lee Segarra, Sybil Rosen, Nancy Roppolo, David Hinson, Aaron Augustus, Brittany Price, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Jean Carlot, Charles Adam, Charles Adams, Edgar Arreola, Brett Beoubay, Martin Bats Bradford, Adam Brazy, Jeff Caperton, Robert Casiello, Didi Costine, Laura Costine, Penelope Costopoulos, Martin Covert, Mitch Craft, Glinda David, Elliott Estelle, Jen Guitreau, James Hardin, Victoria Hardway, Jency Griffin Hogan, David Kallaway, Steve Kish, Rick Lecompte, D. Taylor Loeb, Jenn Lyon, Allison McDaniel, Ritchie Montgomery, James Ourso, Wyatt Russell, Bianca Siplin, Lisa Ann Smith, Johnny Stassi, Maureen Tully, Calvin Williams
Producer:	Ethan Hawke, Ryan Hawke, Jake Seal, John Sloss
Co-producer:	Bogdan George Apetri
Executive producer:	Stephen Shea, Louis Black, Sandy K. Boone, Gurpreet Chandhoke, Rudolph A. Galera
Production designer:	Thomas Hayek
Cinematographer:	Steve Cosens
Film editor:	Jason Gourson
Casting:	Ryan Glorioso
Art Director:	Elissabeth Blofson
Set Decorator:	Danielle Dyar
Costume Designer:	Lee Kyle
Running time:	129 minutes
Language:	English