The Jazz Funeral – Reconnecting in the Big Easy
By Briege McGarrity
The Jazz Funeral is an indie narrative feature written and directed by up-and-coming filmmakerJesse Rosen (The Art of Being Straight). When a close family friend passes away unexpectedly, Nick (James Morrison) and his estranged son Billy (Bobby Campo) fly to New Orleans for the funeral.
The film centers around the strained relationship between a father and son, both of whom are having women trouble. The father is a nit-picking, overbearing lawyer and the son is a sensitive, confused musician with a pretty live-in girlfriend called Emily, well played by Maiara Walsh (Mean Girls 2). The couple has hit a rocky patch and are struggling to save their relationship.
Apparently based on a true story, the solid acting performances carry the film entirely. Rosen was smart to enlist the help of casting agents Marvin Paige and Suzie Labry. Perhaps unwisely, he avoids delving deeply into the main characters, instead choosing the vibrant New Orleans jazz setting to explore complicated relationships. Billy feels like “a witness at a deposition” when Nick grills him about his relationship with Emily and lectures him about his loftiness and overall lack of direction.
In spite of Nick butting into Billy’s personal life, various scenes show evidence of a rapport. The duo visit the historical Saint Louis Cemetery, drink tequila shots and hurricanes, smoke cigars, sample alligator shrimp cheese cake and eat oysters. A chance meeting with two chicks from Melbourne, Australia (they sound English), complicates things when Nick ends up having a one night stand.
Most of the scenes are shot in New Orleans and feature a great score composed by Kyle Newmaster. Notable “Nawlin’s” tracks include, When the Saints Go Marching In; If you Love me; On The Foot Of Canal Street and a haunting instrumental version of Nearer My God to Thee, performed byPanorama Jazz Band to match emotional events such as the inevitable telephone break-up.
Audiences always get the feeling there is more and sure enough we learn that there is no funeral, Nick’s marriage is headed for an expensive divorce and he planned the Big Easy trip to spend time with his son. The revelation causes tension and frustration because Billy blew off an important meeting with a London-based record producer. Things escalate when the men start talking about their rocky past. In the end, they settle their differences and even reluctantly agree they share some similar traits especially when it comes to women.
Overall The Jazz Funeral is about the vagaries of on and off again relationships, forgiveness and confronting the past in order to achieve peace and inner healing. It is well-acted and touching at times.
The Jazz Funeral won the Grand Jury Honorable Mention at the 17th annual Dances with Films Fest.