This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

The Jazz Singer is an important movie in the history of cinema. First feature-length movie with audible dialogue. It was also the the first film musical. These factors are enough for the film lovers to watch it immediately. But, more than that this is a beautiful, emotional musical drama.Jackie is the only son of a Cantor. He was very much interested in music, but it was Jazz music. When his father came to know about it, he whips Jackie. Jackie runs away. Years later, he becomes a successful jazz singer. He meets a beautiful girl. He makes a comeback to home on his greatest achievement of his life. But, that puts him under a tough situation. A dilemma. He has to make a choice. "~It's a choice between giving up the biggest chance of my life and breaking my mother's heart~".Emotions, situations, music, love, affection all mixed up to get a beautiful movie. One of the best Hollywood films that portrays Mother-Son-Father bond.Do not miss the first talkie. Highly recommended.#KiduMovie

This is one of the few if not the only movies I actually read about in history books! It's great that I've watched something that is such a landmark in history! The weird thing is that most of this film is in fact a silent movie. Now, there are a lot of songs that are sung with actual sound, but there's only a single sequence that the actors actually use dialogue while talking normally. It's weird how they used it just then. I guess it was so early it would have been too difficult to make the whole movie like that. Yeah, easily the best part. I really wonder what the first completely talking movie was.Perhaps it was The Marx Brothers' "The Coconauts"? It's easy to see some of these scenes being reenacted in "The Artist". The weird thing is that plot wise, the film is most known for having Al Jolson in blackface. That actually doesn't appear until two thirds into the movie, so it might not be that big a deal. I admit that the story itself could be better. It's a guy who becomes a jazz singer against the wishes of his Jewish father. Were there some Hanukah references in there? There should be some Hanukah movies. It's still nicely acted with a good plot. It will live on forever! ***

All my life I promised myself that I'd sit down some evening and watch "The Jazz Singer". Well, just a couple of days after my 65th birthday, I finally did. I love old movies...but not quite this old. My interest begins about 5 years after this production...somewhere around 1932 (give or take).Without dialog (and this film only has spoken word in some parts...mostly Jolson's songs), films go very slowly to me...and this film is no exception. Of course, I didn't watch this film for entertainment. I watched for its history, and this film is just as historical as about anything you'll find in a museum -- the first real talking motion picture -- a true revolution.Nevertheless, the plot here is not too bad if you can stand all those silent dialog boxes. I'd like to criticize Jolson for sometimes over-acting, but is that fair way back during the transition from silent to talking pictures? Certainly Warner Oland (later Charlie Chan, here the father and cantor) is stiff as a board...even before he died in the film. Eugenie Besserer as the mother was quite good. Otto Lederer has an entertaining role as a family friend. And of course, every one and every thing is VERY Jewish.This film is primitive enough (though the print shown on TCM is very good considering the age) that you may not find it palatable. In that case, soak in the history as you watch the man who considered himself to be the world's greatest entertainer. This film is history.

The Jazz Singer is an important film historically since it was most definitely the film that brought the world into the sound era. Looked at today, many people hate the black face used by Al Jolson in the film but that was, like it or not, a very popular entertainment art form back in those days. Much has been said about the songs and ad-libs interpolated in the film, which was mostly silent with a synchronized music score. They are fine and channel the true Jolson. The film was given a very good restoration several years ago and it looks and sounds better than ever on the new DVD and Blu-Ray releases. The opening and exit music is present, and the DVD set I have is just about the most spectacular one ever released. Three discs with more extra features than I have ever see, and a cornucopia of printed materials originally released with the film in 1927. Listening to the cleaned-up musical score on the DVD, it sounds surprisingly modern, capturing the many moods of the various scenes. Yes, there are dated elements in this film, but they are overshadowed by the fact that this represents a cinematic watershed.