Jimi: All Is by My Side

Novelist and screenwriter John Ridley's directorial debut is a bio-pic about Jimi Hendrix, starring Outkast's André Benjamin, who may not bear much of a physical resemblance to the legendary guitarist, but does successfully capture Hendrix's graceful movements and epigrammatic speech. Ridley wisely bypasses the birth-to-death narrative structure—which tends to flatten multi-dimensional human beings into bullet points—instead focusing on Hendrix's move from New York to London, where he meets Linda Keith (Imogen Poots), an admirer with connections (such as her boyfriend, Keith Richards), and former Animals bassist Chas Chandler (Andrew Buckley), who becomes Hendrix's manager. With Chandler's help, Hendrix puts together the Experience, forming the power trio that would make his name. Unfortunately, the Hendrix estate refused access to Hendrix's music unless they could have final approval, so the trio here performs cover songs, which capture Hendrix's sound, but fail to convey his strengths as a songwriter. Hendrix also comes across as a man with a propensity for violence towards women, particularly his girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham (Hayley Atwell), although both Hendrix scholars and Etchingham herself have taken issue with this portrayal. Since Hendrix is such an amiable character in other respects, these dark sequences feel simultaneously incongruous and off-putting. While the film ably captures the look of Swinging London, Hendrix deserved a more respectful treatment. A strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)