DVDS

Jimi: All Is by My Side

by Xlrator John Ridley
color. 116+ min. , dist. by Amazon.com. 2015. DVD UPC 037117034444. $20.99; Blu-ray UPC 037117036479. $24.99. Rated: R. F/MUSIC/BIOPIC
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Academy Award-winner Ridley (screenwriter, 12 Years a Slave) wrote and directed this stylish snapshot of one year in the life of Jimi Hendrix (1942–70), covering his rise from small-club blues sideman in 1966 to a budding rock and roll superstar in 1967. Ridley, playing loose with history and unafraid to alter time lines or even invent major characters, shows Hendrix (impressively portrayed by hip-hop star André Benjamin) falling under the spell of Rolling Stone Keith Richards's girlfriend and following her from New York to London, where he formed a band and developed his influential sound and style. Even with Ridley's brazen inventions, there isn't enough story to fill the tediously paced but visually appealing film, which also suffers greatly from an absence of original Hendrix songs.
VERDICT The convincing acting and lavish art direction help make this passable for fans of period romantic melodramas, but discerning Hendrix devotees who appreciate historical accuracy and are more interested in his music than his romantic travails, real or imagined, should wait for a more honest and substantial biopic.
Reviewed by Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia , Mar 01, 2015
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