B.B. King: The Life of Riley (2014)

A Masterpiece!

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The legendary B.B. King - one of the last Mississippi bluesmen - died in May 2015 at the age of 89. This documentary was screened in 2012, and as far as possible in the time allotted takes a comprehensive look back at his life. It includes archive footage, and contributions from numerous contemporaries - musicians and others - including the man himself.King visits his birthplace, reminisces about his childhood, and tells us a few things we might not have known including how he developed his particular guitar sound, that he once worked as a disc jockey, and that he broke into radio by writing a jingle for Pep-ti-kon.All in all this is a well rounded documentary, what shines through most is his humility, something for which certain musicians are not exactly renowned.

This detailed documentary, directed by Jon Brewer, chronicles the life and career of B.B. King, now 89-years-old, the legendary guitarist and blues singer. The film traces his life from his birth (as Riley B. King) to impoverished sharecropper parents, in Mississippi, to his very early love of the guitar and music, through his hard labor on Mississippi farms, to his eventually leaving the state to try and begin his musical career in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee.King would slowly establish himself in the record business and eventually begin to tour across America on what was known then as the "chitlin' circuit", which during strict segregation at the time provided black entertainers venues in theaters and clubs. He would gain more and more notoriety, as his talents were noticed, and with his million seller hit record "3 O'clock Blues", he would cross over and be able to perform in any venue and on national television.What struck me the most, while viewing this movie, was the strength of character and genuineness of King, as well his sense of fairness despite all of the hardships he had endured. This often would be expressed with his quiet sense of humor, as well, of course through his soulful and legendary music.Just to note, I thought the documentary could have been a little better edited, running near two hours with some areas being repetitive. Also, at first, it was hard to understand some of what the interviewees had to say. with their deep Southern accents and drawls.However, overall I found this film to be very informative and interesting, and it also was filled with historic film clips and photos as well as good music.