Friday 27 April 2012

Marley Review

Marley (2012)
15 144 min  -  Documentary - Dir. Kevin MacDonald

When I think of Scot born and bred film maker Kevin MacDonald, helmer of such fare as political thriller 'State of Play' and the excellent 'The Last King of Scotland', I -like most people- think about reggae.

At least, I do now.

Knowing his name only from the aforementioned hits, I was dubious to discover his name credited as 'Director' for the new film about the life of a true music and cultural icon, the unchallenged king of reggae, Bob Marley.

Upon closer inspection, it seems MacDonald is in fact a perfect choice after all. As at ease with documentary as he is with feature films (Marley is his eighth documentary to date, with one on chess genius and all-round oddball Bobby Fischer to follow next year), the film is quite an achievement. And it has to be said, MacDonald has pulled out all the stops. Pretty much every name you can think of-and plenty you wouldn't- is up there on the screen waxing openly about their own personal experiences and relationships with Marley, from close family and childhood friends, through to musical peers, random German nurses, and distant relatives from his estranged Fathers' side.

Indeed, one of the standout moments sees a relative listening on an ipod to a track Marley wrote immediately after being turned away from the family he'd flown thousands of miles to introduce himself to. Visibly moved by the lyrics 'stone that the builder refused....will always be the head cornerstone...', he listens on as MacDonald takes almost perverse pleasure in his 'How does listening to that make you feel?' interrogation.

It's of real interest to meet old friends and to see the extremely humble conditions in which Marley grew up. Having loved the song 'No Woman, No Cry' for years, it's enthralling to see the 'government yard in Trenchtown' for real. In fact, you get the sense that the director may have spent a long time with some of the local people featured in this movie, and it is a testament to him how free, frank and open the 'interviews' feel.

Music fans will feel suitably sated too. Almost all the hits you want to hear are in this film, and some are given fresh insight as you learn more about the context in which they were written. 'Redemption Song', already a deeply powerful song, gains greater gravitas given Marleys' health and state of mind at the time. 
There are some live performance 'gems' also, from footage of Marley and The Wailers on tour, to the historic moment at the 'One Love Peace Concert', which saw the bringing together, by Marley, of two fierce political rivals, onstage. 

If this film inspires you to go back and listen to your Bob Marley collection, as it surely will, maybe you will be struck by both the simplicity of the lyrics, and the scope of the 'message' within. Love, peace, all that jazz.  
It isn't particularly new or original, but is there something bigger or better to strive for? 

Marley didn't think so, and I'm sort of inclined to agree.

Rating:
4 Fassbenders out of 5



CLARKE CONCLUSION

Never straying into the realms of hero worship or over sentimentality, 'Marley' is 2+ hours of pure enjoyment for fans, a very cool blend of larger than life characters, enlightening anecdotes, hard hitting personal revelations, and some of the best music you could wish to hear. It is also not about a dog. Different film altogether.

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