The Broad Strokes of Chet Baker Biopic Born to Be Blue

by Robert Ham
"We weren't interested in the specific detail of what exactly happened or what didn't happen," director Robert Budreau said to the Globe and Mail of Born to Be Blue, his biopic of famed and troubled jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. That's not the kind of disclaimer you generally want to hear about a film based on a real person, but it's necessary to keep in mind before viewing this well-intentioned, well-made effort.
You won't get the exact truth of Baker's life and career here—one