Inna de Yard

Review by Thomas Hobbs @thobbsjourno

Directed by

Peter Webber

Starring

Cedric Myton Ken Boothe Winston McAnuff

Anticipation.

Reggae culture needs more films that look beyond Bob Marley, so this subject matter sounds important.

Enjoyment.

The live performances are great, the film itself... not so much.

In Retrospect.

Has a bit of a BBC Four ‘made-for-your-dad’ vibe.

A group of pioneering reggae musicians hark back to the good old days in this middling music documentary.

On paper, Inna de Yard sounds charming: director Peter Webber reunites a group of pioneering reggae musicians (including Ken Boothe, Winston McAnuff and Judy Mowatt), who smoke spliffs and relive the glory days by making a new album and going out on tour.

Some of them, particularly the energetic Cedric Myton, have never earned the kind of money their unique talent merited, making this documentary an important chance to introduce their music to a new generation and get them earning again.

It’s a shame, then, that Webber’s documentary, which focuses on the backstory of each musician before showing them play songs at a reunion show in Paris, is so pedestrian, lacking the flair of similar (superior) music docs such as Searching for Sugar Man.

The subject matter is fascinating, particularly the focus on how reggae provided social commentary at a time where Jamaica was at war with itself, yet the experience of watching this film is like being subjected to a barrage of Wikipedia pages, as Webber tries to cram in as much subtext as possible.

Just as one intriguing detail emerges (such as Mowatt’s intentions to make music that empowered ignored working class black women or McAnuff feeling like he was screwed out of his masters), it’s quickly forgotten and replaced by another.

The live performances are powerful, but while Webber paints a well-rounded picture of how these artists made something out of nothing, he fails to get to the heart of what makes their music so great sonically, or the darker, potentially racist, reasons why they’re not all living as comfortably as you might expect.

Beyond the purists, it’s hard to imagine many people will leave Inna de Yard in a rush to listen to its subjects’ tunes, which, let’s face it, is the true indicator of a great music documentary.

Published 27 Aug 2019

Tags: Peter Webber

Anticipation.

Reggae culture needs more films that look beyond Bob Marley, so this subject matter sounds important.

Enjoyment.

The live performances are great, the film itself... not so much.

In Retrospect.

Has a bit of a BBC Four ‘made-for-your-dad’ vibe.

Suggested For You

Vs

By Thomas Hobbs

Director Ed Lilly’s against-the-odds tale of a white UK rapper feels like a missed opportunity.

review

Beats, Rhymes and Cinema: King of New York

By Thomas Hobbs

How Abel Ferrara’s brutal 1990 gangster flick captured the imagination of the hip hop community.

Studio 54

By Thomas Hobbs

This profile of the 1970s New York disco nirvana is a rollicking examination of American excess.

review LWLies Recommends

Little White Lies Logo

About Little White Lies

Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.

Editorial

Design