JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE

 
Director: John Ridley
Starring: Andre 3000
Rotten Tomatoes score: 66%

     I just finished watching "All Is By My Side" a movie about Jimi Hendrix, starring Andre 3000. I've been waiting about a year for this movie, and it was finally available to stream on Netflix in May 2015. I am a fan of both Jimi Hendrix and Andre 3000 (from the rap group Outkast), so I had an additional amount of intrigue before viewing the film. Having known it was a low budget indie film, I knew not to expect any explosions, high speed car chases or a dozen different camera angles. Nevertheless, I was in the mood for a story of substance, as most indie films are known for having. Unfortunately, to keep it real, the movie did not quite live up to my high amount of expectations. To keep it really real, this movie was mostly boring. The fact that the surviving Hendrix family did not authorize the director to use any songs from the Jimi Hendrix catalogue really hurt the movie. There was no "All Along the Watchtower" "Hey Joe" "Castles Made of Sand" "Purple Haze" or "Vodoo Child". Its no use to watch a biopic of a great musician without getting to hear the soundtrack to their life! It's like watching a movie about Michael Jordan without showing any scenes of him playing basketball.
    Perhaps, I overhyped this movie. Actually, I did overhype this movie. I expected more from writer/director John Ridley who won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay for "12 Years a Slave" in 2013. I expected more of an exciting rock star life movie, instead there was a lot of disjointed scenes such as when Jimi's band went on stage and tuned their instruments for 30 minutes. However, in unexpected moments of letdown, I make a conscience effort to look for the positive aspects of the movie. On a positive note, I did get to see the life of the pre-fame Jimi Hendrix, before he became widely known as the most popular guitarist of all time. I learned how he was playing to half empty bars in Harlem, then being discovered by Keith Richards' (lead singer of the Rolling Stones) girlfriend, and subsequently hopping on a plane to London where he reached billboard success after recording a low budget album. The movie did a great job in showing Jimi's interactions with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and The Beatles, who were all famous at the time when Jimi was rising to fame. In the film's climax, The Beatles even come watch Jimi play, and he pays tribute to them by play "Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (On a side note: Im still waiting for a big budget Beatles movie, Hollywood should make that).  Andre 3000 put on a decent performance playing Jimi Hendrix, at least sounding like him when speaking, and having the stage presence to rock out during certain scenes. If I learned one thing from this movie, it is when Jimi said, "When the Power of Love, overcomes the Love of Power, the world will know peace." #Deep. Overall, I give it a 5 out of 10. It's only worth watching if you are a fan of Jimi Hendrix or Andre 3000. Otherwise, most people would not sit through this slowly paced movie, with no popular Jimi Hendrix songs. One day, there will be a more complete Jimi Hendrix movie, until then, Peace & Love!