‘Köln 75’ Review: John Magaro Hits the Right Notes in a Frustrating Music Drama That Marginalizes the Headliner

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In 1975, Keith Jarrett’s double album titled The Köln Concert, recorded at the Cologne Opera House earlier that year, achieved sales exceeding four million copies. If you were to browse through the vinyl collections of ’70s cool music collectors, chances are you would encounter the iconic black-and-white cover depicting the American jazz pianist, with eyes closed and a focused posture at the keys. This live improvised solo piano composition is an immersive listen, filled with swirling melodies that carry a sense of spiritual transcendence. Jarrett’s heartfelt playing style adds an unexpected emotional depth to his captivating keyboard performances.

Ido Fluk’s film “Köln 75” narrates the tense build-up to a landmark concert that was on the brink of collapse until just a mere 30 minutes before the scheduled 11 PM start time. John Magaro delivers an outstanding performance as Jarrett, a prodigious talent whose once-in-a-generation skills were overshadowed by his sleep deprivation, acute back pain, and contempt for the subpar instrument he was required to play. However, the story is often derailed by the excessive, uninteresting drama surrounding 18-year-old self-made music promoter Vera Brandes (Mala Emde), who defied the odds to organize the concert. This film, unfortunately, fails to live up to its potential as a result.

Fluk’s screenplay starts off with a detailed explanation, narrated by Michael Watts, a jazz critic who breaks the fourth wall, drawing a comparison between Keith Jarrett’s concert and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel masterpiece. According to Watts, observing the painting in Vatican City is not the same as watching Michelangelo paint it from his scaffolding. In essence, he argues that listening to a recording of Jarrett’s concert cannot replicate the experience of attending it live. This comparison certainly underscores the uniqueness of both events.

Later on, Watts clarifies that the movie “Köln 75” isn’t centered around the concert itself, but rather the structure upon which it was erected. Considering the unpredictable nature of the one-time, sold-out event, this concept could work. However, Vera’s narrative, presented in a manner that doesn’t maximize its impact during her 50th birthday party (portrayed by Susanne Wolff), is somewhat reminiscent of a lighthearted coming-of-age comedy about a determined high school senior, struggling with daddy issues and striving for success.

In this film, characters such as Vera are consistently moving at breakneck speed, demonstrating high levels of activity but not necessarily generating an equally compelling storyline. Many B-grade European movies about the counterculture youth movement often depict them dashing around frantically, as if this portrays some form of rebellion against authority.

This movie has characters like Vera who are always in a hurry, but the story doesn’t seem to match their pace. Many low-budget European films about the counterculture youth era show them running around hysterically, as if this symbolizes rebellion against authority figures.

In the narrative, Vera’s primary storyline stands out as an unusual contrast to Jarrett’s more heartfelt drama, as they embark on a nighttime journey from Lausanne, Switzerland, to Cologne in an aging Renault. Accompanying them is Manfred Eicher (Alexander Scheer), the founder of ECM Records, who remarkably decided to record the concert despite indications that it might not succeed.

There’s a sense of poignancy in the oddity of a renowned music artist, who had previously played in Miles Davis’ band among other prestigious groups, finding himself on a tour with such a meager budget that they resorted to selling plane tickets to cover costs. This narrative captivates us with its richness, a quality lacking in the series of repetitive scenes showing Vera rushing about town in her go-go boots, mini-skirt, and shearling coat, frantically addressing one urgent matter after another.

The character based on several real-life jazz journalists, represented as Watts, intrudes, using some artistic freedom, into Keith and Manfred’s late-night journey. His intention is to soften Keith’s reluctance about an interview by fostering a connection during their road trip. Although Keith remains enigmatic for the most part, Magaro cleverly reveals the motivations behind his creative genius. These insights are further amplified through Watts’ critical perspective and Manfred’s, who is both a close friend and professional colleague, deeply admiring Jarrett’s talents.

Frequently, Fluk incorporates documentary elements into the movie, such as archival footage or brief excursions into context. Some of these additions are more successful than others. For example, in a concise explanation about the development of jazz, Watts remarks about Jarrett: “He’s moving away from jazz and playing music that is pure, undefinable except by the musician, the music, and of course, the piano.” However, it should be noted that in other conversations, Jarrett himself has mentioned that his improvisations were influenced to some extent by the audience as well.

Delving deeper into Jarrett as a person and musician could have been quite rewarding, as hinted by these findings. However, the narrative of Vera largely remains separate, only intersecting with Keith and Manfred’s story near the end. These intersections lack the emotional depth or substance that one might expect.

As a devoted fan, I can share an intriguing behind-the-scenes tidbit: The end credits unveil that Brandes transitioned into a successful music producer and label owner after the events portrayed in the film.

There’s an untold tale about a vibrant young woman who, at just 16 years old, managed to secure her professional debut by convincing Ronnie Scott (played by Daniel Betts), the proprietor of a renowned London jazz club, to entrust her with organizing a series of German dates for his trio. Her persuasive prowess was so remarkable that he took notice and gave her this opportunity. Unfortunately, Fluk’s narrative doesn’t fully capture the charm and intrigue of this captivating origin story.

Additionally, the uneven distribution of plotlines concerning Keith and Vera in Köln 75 leaves the movie lacking a solid, cohesive narrative heart.

In her character, Emde manages to make the most out of a part that seems simple and underdeveloped, infusing it with intense physical energy. However, Vera’s relentless determination often feels repetitive and monotonous, becoming rather grating over time.

In her secret rebellion against her rigid orthodontist father (Ulrich Tukur), she clandestinely utilizes a separate phone line within his dental office, located beneath the family apartment, to arrange performances. However, the film doesn’t delve deeply into how Vera transforms into an entrepreneur, only showing her speaking in English and feigning calls from London.

Among my closest confidants, I’ve roped in help for this endeavor – that’s my best friend Isa (Shirin Eissa), my older beau Jan (Enno Trebs), a newcomer named Oliver (Leon Blohm), and my elder brother Fritz (Leo Meier). Fritz, who openly detests Vera but despises our father even more, is part of the crew too. We cruise around town in Fritz’s car, plastering concert posters on walls and trying to evade the police. However, these relationships lack unique nuances that could breathe life into such typical scenes.

For the first time, I was spellbound witnessing Jarrett perform in Berlin, his rhythmic movements and intimate connection with the keyboard were mesmerizing. His expressions ranged from what seemed like agony or bliss as he played each chord or riff. Surprisingly, the narrative skipped over our initial meeting and negotiations for the Cologne concert, instead jumping straight to my interactions with the haughty opera house director. He initially scoffed at the idea but eventually granted me a late-night slot following the evening performance of Lulu. All I required was 10,000 German marks.

The challenge presents a worn-out portrayal of domestic strife, where the most captivating events are condensed into a swift finale. People who have heard about the enigma surrounding the Cologne concert will recall Jarrett’s anger at discovering that instead of the requested Bösendorfer Grand Imperial on stage, there was an out-of-tune rehearsal piano, a baby grand with only one functioning pedal. Tuning experts could only make minor adjustments due to the limited time, and it took much persuasion for Keith to perform at all. However, the performance turned into a magical transformation.

In a nutshell, the climax seems anticlimactic. For just a couple of moments, Jarrett is shown typing, but we don’t hear anything until the finale’s resounding applause. Considering potential music rights problems, there must have been alternative approaches. It appears inappropriate that the camera lingers on Vera, who seems overjoyed and amused by something she finds backstage, while Nina Simone’s rendition of “To Love Somebody” by the Bee Gees plays loudly in the background. If this song choice has any relevance to the narrative, I’d appreciate some clarification on the connection.

A compelling and powerful film could be created based on Jarrett’s 1975 European tour, particularly the Cologne concert. Magaro would make a great fit for portraying him. Among the most touching moments is when Watts inquires if Jarrett ever concerns himself with failure, to which Keith responds that he does so every night. Regretfully, this isn’t the film we have now.

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2025-02-16 16:55