All Is by My Side (2013)
Directed by John Ridley

Film Review

All Is by My Side is a somewhat rambling biopic which seems almost intimidated by its subject matter, if not overwhelmed by the burden of tackling a rock icon of the stature of Jimi Hendrix. Focusing on two years in the legendary musician's busy life, two decisive years that preceded his meteoric rise to stardom, the film sheds surprisingly little light on Hendrix and, sometimes looking more like a low-grade soap opera than an informed biopic, could be about any up-and-coming rock star. The film's portrayal of Hendrix is far from flattering and you wonder how authentic it is. Rap artist André Benjamin does a reasonably good job of imitating the star's looks and mannerisms but how much of the real Hendrix do we see in the film?

There is one obvious omission. As the film was made without the support of the Hendrix estate, it was unable to make use of his songs, and it is questionable that a biopic without Hendrix's music can legitimately be described as a biopic. To make up for this glaring deficiency there is liberal use of archive footage, but this merely adds to the film's obvious lack of coherence. Commendable performances from Imogen Poots and Kathy Etchingham as two of the main women in Hendrix's life help to redeem the film and give it the focus it badly needs, but at almost two hours in length and lacking a sufficiently sturdy narrative backbone this unambitious biopic is a decidedly lukewarm affair, offering the merest glimpse of the man behind the myth. More satisfying recent biopics about prominent musicians include Serge Gainsbourg, vie héroïque (2010) and Cloclo (2012) - these are better constructed films and offer more of an insight into the lives of their subjects, Serge Gainsbourg and Claude François respectively.

Film Synopsis

Before he became a rock mega-legend Jimi Hendrix was just another young musician struggling to earn his keep in a highly competitive industry. Then, one day, whilst performing at the Cheetah Club in New York, he is spotted by Linda Keith. With Linda's help, Hendrix will find the vital contacts who will launch him towards stardom. Rock would never be the same again...