Rob Peace

"Rob Peace" is a drama that immerses you in his story and takes you to the suburbs of the United States where life isn't easy. This film, directed and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, wasn't well received by audiences upon its release, but the streaming company Netflix decided to give it another chance, and it hasn't disappointed, reaching the Top 10 most-streamed films in several countries.

The film tells the story of Rob Peace, played by Jay Will, and his life in the suburbs of the United States. At a young age, he witnesses the arrest of his father, Skeet Douglas, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, accused of the triple murder of women, to whom he promises to get him out of jail. From then on, the film shows how Rob develops his life as an academic prodigy, so much so that he is the first in his neighborhood to enter Yale University, but he does all this while bearing the weight of his youthful promise. Over time, he relieved this burden by consuming marijuana until he ended up smuggling it to earn the money to help his father.

This is the second film directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, and there's nothing to criticize him for, as there are scenes that touch the viewer's heart, especially with a story as powerful as this one. It's a story based on the book "The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace," which tells the true story of the young prodigy Robert Peace. Actor Jay Will's performance as Robert is exceptional. Besides being a character who wins the viewer's affection, his performance makes it difficult for the viewer to suffer as well, or to love as well, as the viewer empathizes with him.

At the time, it was thought that this film would be a failure due to its low global gross of just USD 422,329. Netflix, as stated in the first paragraph, saw a different spark in this project and decided to purchase the rights to have it on its platform. Against all odds, the film reached the Top 10 most-streamed films in its debut month on Netflix, managing to survive even when no other company had faith in it.

In conclusion, this is a film that indirectly teaches us to always persevere, because if they hadn't continued promoting it, even after its box office failure, Netflix would never have been able to release it. The story is very well done, with excellent photography, and it also teaches us several lessons, including that even the most intelligent and brilliant can make decisions that leave them feeling like a codfish.

It feels like the only thing the movie has in common with the book is its main character and his mother. Rather than doing the work of character development in the film, which would require reconciliation of the fact that Peace was a brilliant man who made choices that put him in high risk situations and ultimately cost him his life, the film spins a fable of a messianic, monogamous victim. There is no meaningful engagement with Peace's life after Yale, his travels (and travails) and the impacts he made on those around him. It's hard to understand how the author's wife produced a film that correlates so little with the book and in the end, feels like it does no real justice to the complexity of the short and tragic life of Robert Peace.

Watched this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

This movie is an example where just because an actor is very talented, doesn't mean they are worthy of directing movies. Chiwetel Ejiofor has directed "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" which I thought was decent but "Rob Peace", despite having good intentions, falls short due to the weak narrative, uninteresting characters and repetitive structure.

The writing explores race conflicts and the system but the writing is cliched and too predictable to fully engage with. Many of the production designs and camerawork were okay but felt cheap. The performances from the cast members were a mix of some good and some pretty bad. Jay Will does a good job with his performance but the rest of the cast, especially Camila Cabello, were pretty bad and were provided with some really rough dialogue.

The direction from Ejiofor feels lifeless and lacking, the pacing is pretty weak, and the tone and atmospheres explored feel as if there was many themes trying to be explored, yet couldn't focus on one. I have read the original novel which the movie is based on and I feel that the movie is a weak adaptation of what made the novel pretty interesting.

Being my last movie from Sundance, it was a bit disappointing. I can see the good intentions here but it was weak.

Chiwetel Ejiofor's second directorial effort is an intense, real-life drama that manages to be a consistent film, but at times becomes overly pretentious.

With a conventional look by Chiwetel Ejiofor, both in its direction and in its script, we are faced with a film that keeps you totally connected to it, precisely because of the director's cleverness in using all the safe elements that enhance this drama and make it feel intense and moving, capturing a full life of its protagonist that invites us to feel part of a journey destined to give us a hard final blow.

In the acting department, an efficient Jay Will elegantly carries off his powerful lead performance, delivering sincerity in his character loaded with a portrait of a frustrated life and the places that bind it, which is amazingly complemented by a good supporting cast where Chiwetel Ejiofor once again demonstrates what a great actor he is.

I am left with the feeling of being in front of a fairly entertaining film, never too heavy, that invites us to follow Peace's life beyond a life full of complications that offers an authentic portrait of a person destined to fight against the constraints of a place, of moments, of decisions and of a complex life from the beginning.

A conventional, well-made drama, which has its high points and its low points, but which in its final sum ends up leaving the viewer with more sweet than bitter feelings.

I am glad I saw the movie because it tells such an important story and one that is, sadly, all too familiar. I did not know the story or how it ends and I did find myself looking for redemption at the end. The movie however does not fully redeem it self. The last forty minutes are the best part with some dramatic tension you can feel and make no mistake : Jay Hill and Mary J. Blige portray their characters in THEE most authentic way possible, truly the bright spots in the film.

The movie is not very well knit together, it does not flow naturally and does not draw you fully into it like a good movie should. Plainly put, most of the other characters with the exception of an academic advisor( very small role ) and catholic Headmaster mentor are like furniture in the scenes, they may even have some lines but are they in the same movie ? Some great moments of drama in a meandering film which does not make the cut.