Mo' Better Blues

Visually rapturous, with one of the coolest opening credits sequences ever, and beautiful/expressive use of colored lighting throughout. Obviously a movie about jazz, but I was not prepared for just how much music drives it; someone on here likened it to a film adaptation of a jazz concept album, and I think that's a perfect way to put it. It also has an interesting out-of-time feeling - the music and feel of it suggest the 1950s, but details make it clear it's set in the 1980s. Stronger in style than in narrative - the heavy focus on Spike himself's character is a mistake, I think - but man, what style. Oh and of course there's Denzel.