6.5/10

During the toughest times for becoming a star in rock music, one man outshined the rest with his poetic stage presence, and guitar skills that were second to none. OutKast’s Andre Benjamin stars as Jimi Hendrix in this revealing biopic from Academy Award-winning writer-director John Ridley (12 Years A Slave). Covering a year in Hendrix’s life from 1966-67 as an unknown backup guitarist playing New York’s Cheetah Club to making his mark in London’s music scene up until his Monterey Pop triumph, the film presents an intimate portrait of the sensitive young musician on the verge of becoming a rock legend. The film is a bit of a let down compared to my 2nd place choice for 2013’s film of the year in 12 Years a Slave, but there are certain aspects where this film succeeds; mainly in the cinematography. With Oscar season right around the corner, there is no better choice for film editing or production setting in the field this year. I have never seen a film done after 1985 that captures the essence of the 60’s as well as this movie did. From the colorful wardrobe choices of bellbottoms and go go dresses complete with boots, to the smoke filled bars of England’s loudest pubs. All Is By My Side takes us on a history lesson during a time when everything was right about music, and passion was heard in the music. The acting is alright in doses. I understand why Benjamin is all the fuss with his portrayal of the late musician, but i felt he was only visually excelling. To hear Benjamin sing classic Hendrix songs, lets you know that there is nobody better for this role. However, it’s during his dialogue off the stage where the character sounded just shy of a Dr. Seuss character. Benjamin compliments Hendrix with this ridiculous rich snob voice that i can never quite understand where he picked it up. Truth be told, Benjamin isn’t even the best part of this movie. Imogen Poots continues to keep accepting better roles since her awful 2014 debut in “That Awkard Moment”. She plays the girl responsible for discovering Hendrix in a New York club, and Keith Richards ex girlfriend, Linda. Poots explores her acting versatility in a role that is perfect for her brand of spunky. The problem with her situation is that right when her character is about to take off, we don’t see her again until the final twenty minutes of the movie. Another problem i had with the film was the storytelling itself. I am OK with a movie that wants to focus more on the pre celebrity of Hendrix, but his biggest struggles came after he hit it big, and that is really what the film is missing. That shot of adrenaline that could really float this film into an Oscar heavyweight is missing. There are hints at a shattered childhood complete with an emotionally long distance relationship with Jimi’s father, but the movie never expores it. Going through this storyline would’ve brought out more than just a charasmatic smile for Benjamin, and might have launched him into the stratosphere as a music to movie crossover star. Instead, Jimi : All Is By My Side is an alright film that has us begging for the story to continue on even further. When the credits roll, we feel like we have watched a good film, but not a great one. That might be the biggest tragedy in the story of one of rock music’s greatest legends. I would recommend it on DVD for anyone who is a Hendrix fan. Anyone else won’t find much magic in this telling.