Film Review: Why You Should Check Out the New Bob Marley Documentary

The Bob Marley documentary, MARLEY finally got its premier at the Starflix Cinemas in Prestige. On Friday, the cinema was the first in Africa to show the film which tells the story of the iconic reggae star.

The film uses never-before-seen footage, photos and interviews to reconstruct the life of the superstar. It starts off with a history lesson on the origins of the Jamaican people and narrows it down to Robert Marley’s lineage. The uninitiated will also get to learn about the Rastafarian Movement. I finally got to understand the difference between reggae and the religion, and where the two merge.

There’s never a dull moment in the film. From the singer’s family, his relationships and beliefs. Besides being informative, the documentary was also unexpectedly funny thanks to Bunny Wailer and Bob’s childhood friend.

One thing I didn’t see coming was Damien Marley’s absence in the documentary. In fact, only two of his 11 children appear on the film. But the pair was enough to shed light on Bob’s character, parenting style and his lasting influence on his family.

Reggae fans might already be familiar with the tail-end of Bob’s career but I am sure very few people have seen the photos of Bob’s last months. Those moments were heartbreaking and illuminating. The conclusion was fitting of an epic career. Kenyans will particularly love the end credits, so stay back for that.

The film is directed by Kevin MacDonald, who has previously directed Academy Award-winning films such as One Day in September, The Last King of Scotland and other acclaimed films, State of Play and Life in a Day, the 2011 film which was made using thousands of clips posted by fans on YouTube.

The 44-year old director has made a name directing famous personalities’ documentaries including Howard Hawkes,Mick Jagger and Eric Campbell among others. MARLEY stars Bob Marley himself, Ziggy Marley and Jimmy Cliff among others. One of the cinematographer is Wally Pfister, who did The Dark Knight Rises, Inception and The Dark Knight among others.

The film is now showing at Starflix Prestige at 9:00 p.m. every day. It also shows at Starflix Village Market and Starflix Mega in Kisumu at the following times.

VILLAGE MARKET
Weekdays: 12:00pm, 2:45pm, 6:00pm, 8:45pm
Fri – Sun: 2:00 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 9:30 p.m.
Sat only: 11:15 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 9:30 p.m.

For more details, call 0716 883 872

STARFLIX MEGA CITY, KISUMU
Fri – Sun: 2:00 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 9:30 p.m.
Sat only: 11:15 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 9:30 p.m.