'Round Midnight 1986

Janet Maslin, New York Times: No actor could do what the great jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon does in 'Round Midnight. Read more

Pat Graham, Chicago Reader: The director's perenially heavy mood seems especially well suited to this indigo-shaded story of a black American saxman (Dexter Gordon) living and performing in Paris in the late 50s. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: You do not need to know a lot about jazz to appreciate what is going on because, in a certain sense, this movie teaches you everything about jazz that you really need to know. Read more

Time Out: Dale Turner, as played by Dexter Gordon, seems to be an amalgam of Bud Powell and Lester Young, but the private, rueful dignity that he brings to bear is all his own. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: Round Midnight is a superbly crafted music world drama in which Gallic director Bertrand Tavernier pays a moving dramatic tribute to the great black musicians who lived and performed in Paris in the late 1950s. Read more

Paul Attanasio, Washington Post: A lovingly gentle yet vibrant tribute to jazz, friendship and film itself, made by a director of consummate taste and precise imagination. Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: Gordon goes the limit as Turner, dedicating his performance to all the cats who've gone before. Read more