Movies never seem to get the naturally seductive world of jazz music right. Could there be anything more romantic than expatriates plying their musical wares in dimly lit basement clubs in Paris in the early sixties? Especially when two of those musicians are played by Newman and Poitier at the height of their charisma and dazzling handsomeness. There's no life to the film, though. It's a dull slog through a predictable story, leaning too much on the built-in charms of French city life.

This movie is slow starting but it gets better as it goes on. There is great music throughout the entire film. It is great to see Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier work together.

a terrible, terrible script--i simply cant understand why poitier and newman agreed to be in this movie. duke ellington's score is good, but sometimes overbearing and unbecoming. seems like poitier got all of the two lines in this movie that were actually worth saying. can't say the ending was that bad, although a bit melodramatic.