Andre 3000 is Jimi Hendrix in First Trailer for 'All Is By My Side'

Even now 44 years after his death at the young age of 27 and at the height of his career, Jimi Hendrix is still considered by many to be the greatest guitarist who ever lived, and one of the finest entertainers. With his band the Jimi Hendrix Experience he helped shape the nature of rock 'n roll, and his seminal album Are You Experienced is something truly historic. So it makes sense that Hollywood would want to make a biopic on his fast and brief life, but does writer/director John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) do it justice with All Is by My Side?

The first trailer for the biopic has been released and it features Outkast's Andre 3000 as Hendrix, more than looking the part even if he seems to lack the necessary charisma. But that's only part of the issue as Ridley battled with the Hendrix estate for rights to the musician's music, ultimately losing and was forced to make the film without any of it. So the result is a movie on Jimi Hendrix without Hendrix's signature sound, and according to reviews from the festival circuit that becomes a major problem. The story takes place while Hendrix is in London the verge of hitting big time, and dealing with the two women in his life, played by Imogen Poots and Hayley Atwell.

Also starring Burn Gorman, Ruth Negga, and Ashley Charles as Keith Richards, All Is by My Side opens September 26th.

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First Clips of Andre 3000 as Jimi Henrix in 'All Is By My Side'

It's only fitting that a biopic on Hall of Fame rocker Jimi Hendrix would debut at SXSW, but in truth there has been zero advance buzz on All Is By My Side. It's a little odd considering Outkast's Andre Benjamin is playing the axeman, with Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave writer John Ridley directing. Maybe all of that will change now that a pair of clips have been released, giving us our first look at Benjamin in the lead role.

Imogen Poots (seen next week in Need for Speed) co-stars as Linda Keith, and the first clip shows a flirtatious moment shared between them. Keith was also the ex-girlfriend of Keith Richards and she was a major influence on both men, and she helped Hendrix get one of his first big breaks.  The story mostly focuses on the years 1966-67 just as he was recording his seminal album, Are You Experienced. The second clip shows Hendrix talking to his future manager about joining a London tour.

Benjamin has struggled to find his niche as an actor (his awful performance in Idlewild is the stuff of legend), and he doesn't seem quite right as Hendrix. Note that none of Hendrix's signature music is in either clip, and that's because none of it was cleared by the Hendrix estate. That's a huge hurdle to overcome, and we'll find out if Ridley pulls it off when All Is By My Side hits SXSW.


First Look At Andre Benjamin as Jimi Hendrix in All is By My Side clip by Nics Leone

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