Rob 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.

It was heartwarming and touching and uplifting and sad all wrapped up in one, but it was real, just so real and it was honesty. I mean this movie paints a picture of Rob Peace and the picture was the truth. They did nothing to hide who this guy was at all just laid out the cards the way they were delt.

The only thing that may have been off balance was the acting chops of Jay Will. Will as Peace was absolute dynamite! I grew to care for what he was portraying on film as if thought he was my freind! I just want to put on record that's exactly what Oscars are given out for.

Chiwetel Ejiofor just showcased his diversity of talent with this one. Great Actor, i knew that! But great writer and Director!? This is the type of filmmaking i want to see over and over again.

A must see!

"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.

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.

This is most definitely a better movie.than a 6.5 the current reviews are showing. There are some similarities to others shows (e.g., Breaking Bad) but this here is based on a true story. So this is the real story.

Life is a challenge. Sometimes I think about how I could have easily chosen a variety of paths. And how my sister turned out so much differently than me. Or how I could've ended up a story on Dateline for a bad decision or risk or trust I gave to someone. We are all very lucky to be alive, honestly. For that sometimes I even feel bad, because better people, more worthy people than me, didn't make it as far. I think there is a lot of untapped gold in "poor communities". The best investors would know that. Fools.

So, what I'm saying is that this movie is thought provoking. Watch it for yourself and share your thoughts afterwards.

I don't want to mark my review as saying there's a spoiler, so I must hold back. It's worth watching.