Marley

A well made look at a reggae legend with lots of footage and performances. What more could you really want? It covers the creation of his music, his influences, his roots, his tragic early death, etc. Just about the only thing it doesn't do that well is talk about his legacy or how much bigger he got after dying. Maybe a few extra minutes about that would have been nice, but apart from that small nit pick, this is totally worth seeing.

Some really hilarious outfits by some of the old dudes in the interview segments too. Like weird peacock army soldiers covered in flair and bling. Total style man!

I'm old enough to have dug Bob Marley when he was actually alive and performing. AND I was fortunate enough to produce some jingles in Tuff Gong Studio for Air Jamaica. So I was around the scene, post-Marley, and I played his music endlessly for a decade or two.

Then I discovered salsa, and Latin Jazz, and the Afro-Cuban sound, and let my Marley go.

Well, now I have my Marley back. This film took me into parts of Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica that I have never seen and never want to see. Even after reading Timothy White's marvelous biography of Marley, "Catch A Fire," I couldn't imagine how horrible Trenchtown was until this movie.

It gave me a deep appreciation for how far this young man traveled in his tragically brief time on this particular planet.

He wasn't nice, he wasn't easy, but he was brilliantly talented and surrounded himself with other talented, fascinating people. Yes, folks are moaning about the movie not having enough music, but ... it has lots of heart and conversation and laughs and empathetic understanding of the Marley story -- and the story of Jamaica, one of the most beautiful and agonizing places I have ever been. I can't recommend this film highly enough. (Gosh, I hope there are no spoilers here. Can you write a spoiler for a documentary of a widely known figure?)

Greetings again from the darkness. Kevin Macdonald is one of those rare directors who has had commercial success with both documentary and mainstream films. His Last King of Scotland featured a powerful performance from Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin, and in Touching the Void, he chronicled a perilous mountain climbing trip in the Andes. Here, he takes on the fascinating life of musician and humanitarian, Bob Marley.

This extraordinary film features some wonderful never before seen video and still photography, as well as some very insightful interviews from friends, family, bandmates, and others who were present during that time. We see the poverty stricken area of Jamaica where Marley was born to his mother (a local teenager) and his father, a 60-something white man who evidently worked for the forest department.

It's truly fascinating to watch Marley's development as a musician and human being. With little education, he relied on stunning life instincts and rose to be the most important Jamaican figure in a time of intense discourse. His personality was one that brought people together, and his music complimented his beliefs and encouraged a unified country and world. While he survived an assassination attempt, he was unable to beat cancer. His death at the young age of 36, leaves us asking ... what could have been? Watching his Wailers begin by playing for free in small clubs and building to worldwide tours in huge stadiums shows just how much influence he had with his words, music and actions. He was admired globally and revered in Jamaica. So often biographies and documentaries treat their subject as either a saint or villain. Here, we get the descriptions from Marley's own voice, as well as the voices of his wife Rita, his children (including Ziggy), his girlfriends (including Cindy Breakspeare who was Miss World). We learn he had 11 kids with multiple women. We learn he wasn't the warmest father to his kids. We learn he was courageous and insightful, and always willing to listen to both sides of an argument.

For most, being an influential musician would be enough. For Bob Marley, it was just the key to the door ... his vision was for a peaceful world where we could all "get together and feel alright". You will notice I have yet to mention marijuana. Marley's face has become a symbol for Jamaica's key export, and that's a shame ... more need to know what this man was all about.

Marley (2012)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Director Kevin Macdonald epic look at music legend Bob Marley follows him from his early days to his rise in music and eventually his death at the age of 36. Through concert, interview and audio footage, we get to hear from Marley throughout his life and of course there's a lot of attention given to the music but there's also a lot aimed at Marley's lifestyle and his hopes for the future. We also get interviews with his son, daughter, mother, wife as well as countless band members and others who knew him personally. At 142-minutes, this thing certainly packs in a lot of information and I think die-hard Marley fans are going to really love this thing. There's no question that nearly every aspect of his life is covered from his early childhood, to his womanizing and of course the final few months of his life. The film really does an exceptional job at giving you a complete look at the man and it doesn't shy away or try to hide his darker side or moments that aren't as good and fun. The documentary really shows him as a complete human, which is something a lot of these films miss. Those who are just mild fans or are just wanting quick look at how Marley was might find this to be a bit too long but I do feel this was made for die-hard fans who want to know everything. I really enjoyed all of the concert footage that they added because one gets a great idea of what Marley was like on stage. Of course, countless songs are on full display here, which is another major plus. Certain aspects of Marley's life gets additional attention here including the Smile Jamaica Concert and him getting shot before hand. Also, the final months of Marley's life also gets additional scenes and it's still shocking to see him dying so young.

The first official documentary featuring members of the Marley family, who reflect on the life of Bob Marley. A prophet to some and a lyrical icon who left the earth leaving a significant mark in musical history.

"Marley" is a beautifully crafted piece of work based on the late Jamaican star. The film is aimed at his biggest fans as well as those with little knowledge of his life, example being myself.

Born in 1963,Raised in the slum's of Kingston, Jamaica, Bob Marley lived life an only child with his mother fending for food and water. Bob's life shows an affect for disaster with little knowledge of his father and any appearance being nothingshort of a myth.

Just like Bob, friends and numerous characters from the Kingston area are introduced in the film, expressing their upbringing in poverty stricken Jamaica.

We learn of the belief in "Rasta Fari". A god worshipped by certain Jamaicans. Bob Marley describes him as the equivalent to Jesus. "White people have Jesus, we have Rhasta Fari". A belief which entitles them to smoke a ridiculous amount of weed each day.

The concept of the documentary tells a tale of comedy, happiness and depression as ones life is told through those who grew up with, and loved him most.

His struggle for success is told through friends and numerous members of The Wailers. How reggae was founded through a single chord? how Bob Marley eventually left Jamaica for America to expand his ideas in music. A story of ambition and tragedy, relating to the shooting of Bob Marley and certain members of The Wailers. How Bob Marley was begged to revive Jamaica's government torn gang war, bringing a country together through his music.

Vital members of the Marley family are heard for the first time in this cinematic masterpiece. Son of Bob, Ziggy Marley tells of his remembrance, as we see a shocking resemblance to the late singer. Rita Marley, his first and last love tells the story of how she stayed with Bob, despite his sexual antics.

A revealing documentary of the Jamaican superstar, seen through the eyes of members of the music industry as well as a brilliant cast of Kingston locals who simply never left the scene since Bob Marley's growing up.

"Marley" reveals a variety of live performances, showing Bob Marley at his best and a typically beautiful soundtrack, which mingles with every scene. Fans and people today know of the ending that awaited Bob Marley. This documentary is a terrific celebration towards a musical genius, who just like many icons, changed parts of the world, politically and musically.

Overall, "Marley" is terrifically original, telling a story of a man with a history guaranteed to make you laugh and cry. A film for fans of all ages to enjoy.