Cheadle’s acting excellent in free-form Miles Davis movie

Don Cheadle starring as Miles Davis, in what feels like a 1980s buddy action comedy.

Cheadle instead pays homage by creating a film as challenging as its talented subject.

There are awkward shifts in time, surreal asides and unexplained detours.

The film is bookended by an interview, conducted by fictional Rolling Stone journalist David Brill (Ewan McGregor).

There are no real-world consequences for Brill and Davis, as they encounter single dimensional characters and increasingly unbelievable circumstances.

The craziness hits its nadir during a madcap boxing scene that goes beyond the “48 Hours” level of hyper-reality, and into Indiana Jones serialized matinee territory.

The filmmakers do get the music right, while filling “Miles Ahead” with biographical Easter eggs that should delight the hard-core fans who will identify them all.

Any jazz fan who walks out of the movie should carefully plan a return when the credits roll.

A scene (played for comedy) where Brill raids Davis’ wardrobe ends any chance of taking the 1970s scenes seriously.