Jimi: All is By My Side (2013)

 “Knowledge speaks. Wisdom listens.”

            I do listen to Jimi Hendrix. I am just putting that out there so I do not look like a pretentious asshole just writing about this movie and his music to make myself look cool. I love music. I listen to so many types and genres of music it could make your head spin. If it sounds good I will listen to it. Jimi Hendrix I started listening to about two or three years ago. When I listen to a song I listen for everything in it: vocals, the actual music, and lyrics. All three things blend perfectly together. I did not think I would like Hendrix all that much when I started listening to him and I was actually surprised that I did. Also when I listen to his songs I feel like you can hear Hendrix’s passion for music. You can hear it in his lyrics and his guitar playing. It was so different from what was around at the time and what has come after him.

            Jimi: All is By My Side tells the story of how Hendrix (Andre 3000 from Outkast) was discovered in New York and was then brought over to England by his manager.  He had been discovered by a groupie of sorts named Linda Keith (Imogen Poots) in New York. Linda knew a few managers but none of them were enthusiastic about Jimi. She finally found someone who was looking to manage an act. Linda and the manager brought Hendrix back to England with them. Jimi breaks things off with Linda for another woman named Kathy Etchingham (Hayley Atwell). As his career starts to take off his relationship with Kathy becomes violent from drugs and jealousy.

            Jimi’s becomes well known around England. All the big acts such as Eric Clapton and The Beatles begin to take notice of him.

            That is the best description of the movie I can give. Most of what the movie portrayed happened from what I had researched about Hendrix and his time in London so you can Google the facts yourself if you would like to know more.

            I greatly enjoyed Jimi: All is By My Side. I liked all the performances. I am in no way going to lie that I watched this movie for Hayley Atwell and that I watched this because her show Agent Carter has just finished for the season tonight (which if you have not watched WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! GO DO IT NOW!). Atwell was great in the movie. There was one scene she was fantastic in. Kathy was sitting alone on a couch crying after an incident happened. Atwell just killed that scene she was perfect. I liked hearing her drop quite a lot of F-bombs and speak with a bit of a cockney accent. Andre Benjamin aka Andre 3000 made an excellent Jimi Hendrix. I did not know what to expect with him as an actor and he did very well. The direction was also really good. It was different and I liked the detail that was captured such as Jimi and Kathy holding hands or some item in a shop. Jimi: All is By My Side is a very well made movie. It actually made me more interested in Hendrix to find out more about his life and to explore his music.