Plot
A drama based on Jimi Hendrix's life as he left New York City for London, where his career took off.
Release Year: 2013
Rating: 5.4/10 (448 voted)
Critic's Score: 65/100
Director: John Ridley
Stars: André Benjamin, Hayley Atwell, Imogen Poots
Storyline
A drama based on Jimi Hendrix's life as he left New York City for London, where his career took off.
Cast: Imogen Poots -
Linda Keith
Hayley Atwell -
Kathy Etchingham
Burn Gorman -
Michael Jeffery
André Benjamin -
Jimi Hendrix
Ruth Negga -
Ida
Tom Dunlea -
Mitch Mitchell
Ashley Charles -
Keith Richards
Clare-Hope Ashitey -
Faye
Laurence Kinlan -
John
Amy De Bhrún -
Phoebe
Andrew Buckley -
Chas Chandler
Aoibhinn McGinnity -
Rita
Robbie Jarvis -
Andrew Loog Oldham
Demetrice Nguyen -
(as Demetrice Jackson)
Jade Yourell -
Roberta Goldstein
Country: UK, Ireland, USA
Language: English
Release Date: 24 October 2014
Filming Locations: Ireland
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The estate of Jimi Hendrix refused to loan the music rights to the film for André Benjamin to perform as Hendrix. The estate stated that they would not grant the rights unless they were allowed full participation in the film's production. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 1/10
The theatregoer hoping to get some insight into Jimi Hendrix and London
in 1966/67 will leave the theatre disappointed. Before seeing the film
I was apprehensive, as I had been told that my character was portrayed
in a derogatory and potentially defamatory manner. I had been told that
Jimi had beaten me with a telephone in the film and after I had
protested that this was not true the film makers had replied that it
was true because they had "thoroughly researched" me. In other words
they were saying that they were telling the truth and I was not. During
the opening scenes I found it difficult to comprehend the way the story
was unfolding, or what it was depicting. The editing was disjointed and
dialogue was layered on top of alternate dialogue, seemingly from a
parallel conversation. The film progressed in a confusing and dull
manner but there was one scene that gave me a momentary lift of
anticipation. The scene depicts Jimi playing with Cream at the
Polytechnic Students' Union and should have set out to depict an
absolutely epic event that I had witnessed. (I had been carrying Jimi's
guitar). I hoped that they would do Jimi justice in their
interpretation of what happened. Unfortunately, once the music started,
my heart sank. What a disappointment. Not only was it insulting to
Jimi's legacy, but I would say it was fairly insulting to Eric Clapton
as well because the real Eric Clapton would never have been in awe of
the unremarkable performance presented to viewers in this film. The
storyline progressed in an awkward and illogical way and was hard to
comprehend. The basis seemed to be that the dimwitted "Jimi" could not
make up his mind between the good rock chick (Linda Keith) and the bad
rock chick (Kathy Etchingham) who later goes bonkers and takes an
overdose. (If I was the actress having to play this lousy part wearing
those ugly clothes I may have taken an overdose too.) Fictional
characters were introduced that furthered the deluded political, racial
and sexist agenda that John Ridley seemed to be pursuing. In particular
Michael X was presented as a saintly black political guru whereas in
truth he was a violent criminal con man who was executed for a gruesome
murder. An "Ida" character is introduced who never existed in real
life. The biggest disappointment of this film was that after expecting
at least some kind of depiction of Jimi's humour and creativity and the
amusing and creative times that were happening in London, instead we
were shown a gloomy and depressing dark tale that pictured Jimi as some
sort of moronic loser. Instead of showing Jimi touring the UK and
Europe, writing and performing the most innovative music of the century
we are shown scenes of banal mumblings, fictitious gratuitous violence
and fictitious mental breakdowns and overdoses. My initial anxiety
turned to scorn for the thoroughly bad screenplay and direction. I
became bored and impatient for the end of the film. The fictional
nature of the film left me feeling that the events I was watching were
more akin to a made for DVD movie than a biopic. I felt that I wasn't
watching an interpretation of the real events from the time, but rather
a stiff and poorly depicted mashup of trivia from events described in
my book, sprinkled over Ridley's racially driven fictional theme. Even
the imaginary domestic violence and drug use that my character was
involved in did not evoke the emotional response I expected, and I
found myself feeling just as I have when watching other bad movies,
impatient for it to just finish and spare me the indignity of having to
watch another tiresome scene with wooden dialogue and disjointed
editing. A short-sighted and somewhat offensive portrayal of Jimi and
those around him at the time.
Final verdict: Fictional Movie – 2/10 Biopic purporting to be based in
fact – 1/10 (for spelling all the names right)
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