Spike Lee’s loose yet masterfully directed faux-biopic pays loving tribute to the jazz scene the director grew of age in (his father, the virtuosic bassist and composer Bill Lee, composed the score). Like all Spike Lee Joints, forms and genres are upended, blended, and reinvented, with maximum style. Imbued with an erotic undercurrent, the romances and showmances of Gilliam give star Washington—in the first of many collaborations with the director—a chance to synthesize his burgeoning star power, opposite a formidable ensemble including Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito, John Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbey Lincoln, Cynda Williams (in her first role) and Robin Harris (in his last).

Financially irresponsible Giant (Spike Lee) manages a jazz group, but his sax player, Shadow (Wesley Snipes), wants to replace him with a better business person. Bleak (Denzel Washington), the band's trumpeter, then tries to defend his close pal Giant, leading to a power struggle between the two musicians. Meanwhile, as Bleak tries to straighten things out with his bandmates and manager, he also must navigate his romantic life and choose to be with either sweet teacher Indigo (Joie Lee) or sultry singer Clarke (Cynda Williams).

Reviews
"Few will accuse Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues" of being a masterpiece. But it's still full of the things that make Spike Lee films, well, Spike Lee films. Full of the fun, full of the spirit." – The Washington Post