It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

If you love jazz music, Paris, Paul Newman, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Poitier and Joanne Woodward, then this movie is perfect. The story is very simple and very stylish and ingeniously filmed. All the merit of Martin Ritt, the director, and Christian Matras, cinematographer. Music by Duke Ellington, who is the true pianist, along with eight other non-credited musicians.

Location-rich, jazz-inspired melodrama about a café band on the Left Bank of Paris led by two Americans: a white, moody trombone player and his only true friend, a black saxophonist who has deliberately blinded himself to the plight of minorities. Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier are well cast, but their scratchy friendship has a false-front (it never feels real or lived in); right at the beginning, the men get into a fight over their music, which confusingly flares up out of nowhere and dissipates in much the same fashion. The pair quickly take up with two female tourists (matched as if by skin color), but lovemaking and sight-seeing take a backseat to squabbles over their differences. Martin Ritt-directed soaper is not nearly as full of music as it is talk, which is a shame considering the dialogue is so banal it overwhelms the picture. The women's roles are particularly ineffective, with Joanne Woodward looking lost in an unplayable role and Diahann Carroll exasperating as a schoolteacher who seems to want to start a race war. Duke Ellington received an Oscar nomination for his score, fitting since the sounds (and also the sights, as photographed by the efficient Christian Matras) are really all the film has going for it. *1/2 from ****

A not-so-well-known but great movie by Martin Ritt starring Paul Newman. Famous for their collaborations on "Hombre" ('67) and "Hud" ('62), Ritt and Newman first worked together on the jazz-movie "Paris Blues". The story of jazzmusician Ram Bowen (Newman) and his friend and musical partner Eddie (Sydney Poitier). A truthfull and intimate depiction of a passionate musician hanging on to his beliefs and principles when he finds himself in a romance with a beautiful woman who wants them to be together. Like Ram says: 'music is my life, everything else is just the icing on the cake'. But of course things seem to be a little tougher when confronted with the reality of life, in a situation where he finds himself very much attracted to this girl.A great picture about a man who is so passionate and involved with his music; his art, that all the ordinary needs and desires of life seem to pass him by. A somewhat tragic story of a talented man who dreams of making it big, but in the course of the movie comes to understand that he is a lightweight, and will never be a heavyweight. Paul Newman is 'on top of his game', but so is Sydney Poitier, who even surprised me more with his minimalistic, real approach to his acting and the character. Another leadcharacter is the great jazzmusic that almost fills the picture wall to wall, but is never in your face when it doesn't need to be. This is most definitely one of my favorite jazz-movies, of which there aren't much, I might add. Spike Lee's "Mo' better blues" ('90) was always my favorite and seems to be heavily influenced by this picture. So is Clint Estwood's "Bird" ('88). Ritt might be the first director to do a real and worthy depiction of a musician with this wonderful picture. All the acting is great, the black & white cinematography is gorgeous, the music is great, the locations/sets are very romantic and dramatic, and the story is tragically beautiful and very human.I just found there's one more film collaboration of Ritt and Newman, "The Outrage" ('64). Their first take on the western genre; very eager to see that picture...

Handsome American jazz musicians Paul Newman (as Ram Bowen) and Sidney Poitier (as Eddie Cook) have relocated to Paris, where they blow "Paris Blues" for trendy crowds. When beautiful vacationing schoolteachers Joanne Woodward (as Lillian Corning) and Diahann Carroll (as Connie Lampson) arrive in the "City of Love," you know what happens. Mr. Newman must consider giving up his promiscuous Parisian lifestyle to settle down with Ms. Woodward. And, Mr. Poitier must consider returning to the more racist United States with the desirable Ms. Carroll. Director Martin Ritt, four very attractive stars, a drug subplot, real musician Louis Armstrong, and a jazzy soundtrack in Paris add up to significantly less than you're expecting.**** Paris Blues (9/27/61) Martin Ritt ~ Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier, Joanne Woodward, Diahann Carroll