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Ethan Hawke delivered one of his finest performances as jazz musician/singer Chet Baker in the underrated Born to Be Blue, and now he’s back in the music world (via cinema) as the director and co-writer of Blaze.
The feature centers on Blaze Foley (Ben Dickey), a gone too soon country music legend who inspired a new generation of artists and songwriters. Veteran rocker Charlie Sexton plays Foley’s friend Townes Van Zandt and Alia Shawkat co-stars as Foley’s wife Sybil Rosen (who co-wrote the feature). The narrative focuses on three different stages of Foley’s life, giving viewers “re-imagined versions” of his complex and turbulent life.
Blaze premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, with Dickey receiving the Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting. The picture’s specific release dates are TBA, but after an August run in Austin the movie will hit select theaters in September. Blaze co-stars Josh Hamilton, Sam Rockwell, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Zahn, and frequent Hawke collaborator Richard Linklater. The Austin based picture is based on Rosen’s memoir Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley. .
Check out the trailer and tell me what you think (or if you saw the movie at Sundance – I’d love to hear your thoughts)
