Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami

Kino Lorber | Release Date: April 13, 2018

7.3	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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StevenXApr 16, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This documentary about the spellbinding dervish that is Grace Jones is both as interesting and as maddening as her autobiography was, and the film has an even narrower view for the most part: Jones concert and studio footage around her last album, "Hurricane", and a date on its tour in Paris. Like the book, there are next to no salacious stories of her past, other than that of the widely-known TV slapping incident where she beaned an interviewer for ignoring her on a panel; there are no details about her tabloid-worthy relationships, diva fits, commercial downtime, or even a single second of footage from her outrageous onstage antics from the Seventies through the Nineties (which is basically sacrilege). Even her secondary acting career is barely mentioned; Grace comes to us fully formed in her sixties, the only real nod to her musical beginnings being the inclusion of former husband and Svengali Jean-Paul Goode (all too briefly) and their son Paolo, who plays percussion in her band and is a new father to boot. Everything else is 21st Century Grace. As for other beginnings, the fascinating concert footage is cut between songs with footage of a trip to Jamaica to visit family. This would have been much more interesting with more subtitles, as the patois is thick and everyone talks over everyone else with much noise in the background. Real revelation is relegated to tales of her step-grandfather, who raised and beat her and her siblings strictly and coldly, and if you've read the book, that isn't new either. It becomes frustrating that the feel of a concert is interrupted after every song, erasing all flow. Then again, when all she has to do is stand still and sing her cover of "Love Is The Drug" while lasers scatter in all directions from her mirrored bowler hat to hold your rapt attention, at least her onstage power is in force, even in small doses. Director Sophie Fiennes supposedly followed Jones for a decade to film this, yet it looks like all the footage came from the same year or so, as Jones finished the "Hurricane" album and hit the road (or at least hit Paris; none of the other tour dates are shown or mentioned). For those needing a hit of Grace, especially diehard fans, this will be manna; to others it won't tell anything they don't already know about the big picture, and small details will confound (I had to explain to friends what the big deal was about Sly and Robbie, as well as point out when her ex was onscreen). The overall result, like Grace's book, is both basically satisfying and unbelievably confusing. You know, like Grace herself.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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ProteusMay 12, 2018

I don't believe it. Metacritic IMPROVED THEIR FREAKING SEARCH ENGINE! I've been on this site since day one. Metacritic, hands down, had the worst search function in the universe.

Now it appears to be normal like something from THIS CENTURY.I don't believe it. Metacritic IMPROVED THEIR FREAKING SEARCH ENGINE! I've been on this site since day one. Metacritic, hands down, had the worst search function in the universe.

Now it appears to be normal like something from THIS CENTURY. oh and the grace jones movie..go see it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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marcmyworksNov 3, 2018

This film is more snippets from a 12 year journey of Grace Jones' life intertwined with concert footage. Though at times very provocative and interesting, the lack of a clear narrative is what undoes the film. The best part? This woman canThis film is more snippets from a 12 year journey of Grace Jones' life intertwined with concert footage. Though at times very provocative and interesting, the lack of a clear narrative is what undoes the film. The best part? This woman can still perform.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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Brent_MarchantMay 4, 2018

As a concert film, this offering works well. But, as a documentary about its subject, it comes up lacking, presenting only smatterings of insight into what makes Grace Jones the person and artist she is. What's more, the film feels padded,As a concert film, this offering works well. But, as a documentary about its subject, it comes up lacking, presenting only smatterings of insight into what makes Grace Jones the person and artist she is. What's more, the film feels padded, including considerable incidental (and largely insignificant) material to fill out its runtime, which is, in itself, overlong and in need of editing. A missed opportunity, to be sure.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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