Knights of Swing – Movie Review
Director: Emilio Palame, David M Gutel
Writer: David m Gutel, Rolland Jacks, Emilio Palame (Screenplay)
Cast
- Curran Barker
- Kyle DeCamp
- Greg Sandler
- Brandon Ruiter
- Jeremy Staple
Plot: Set in Southern California in 1947, the toe-tapping Knights Of Swing follows a young group of high school jazz musicians whose humble beginnings in one of the member’s garage blossoms into a complete Big Band. Through the lens of band director Mr. Herb Miller and the young musicians of the Knights of Swing, we learn that for them, it’s not about race, gender, or ability – it’s about the gifts of their cultures effortlessly blending through music. Their journey is truly healing and inspiring.
Runtime: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Knights of Swing starts when a group of high school students in 1947 America look to start a jazz band. Gifford (Barker), Nolan (DeCamp), Conrad (Staple), Kenny (Ruiter) and Duke (Sadler) turn to one of their teachers Mr Miller (Neil) for assistants. As the band comes together they look for female singers, holding try-outs to find the perfect fit.
The band continues to grow, bringing people together in the aftermath of war. However, as they grow, more people try to stop them. they don’t accept the mixing of races and look to bring down the band before they get their big break.
Verdict on Knights of Swing
Knights of Swing is a music drama following an unlikely group of high school coming together to make a jazz band. It sees them overcoming prejudiced behavior in the community to change the minds of the people in the town. This gets to show how music brought a town together in the aftermath of the war. A town that became broken because of the lasting effects of what happened in the war.
The movie is completely feel-good and is about bringing people together. Everything on this side of things is wonderful to watch and if you are a fan of jazz, you will enjoy the tunes. However, the movie does feel slightly too long, clocking in at 2 and half hours. For the core story, it doesn’t need to be this long to get the same message over. The performances are strong throughout, but nobody really stands out above the rest.
Final Thoughts – Knights of Swing is a fun musical drama for jazz lovers of the world.