Ginger Baker changed the face of rock as we know it. He made drumming the important skill that it is today. However, this film does not give him justice. Sure...we get many interviews in which other drummers talk about how much they were influenced by Baker but what we're really getting here is a vanity piece for the director. By this I mean that Bulger squeezes in as many interviews as possible and it ultimately ends up becoming suffocating while the director thinks it's great what he's doing.
Also, the film relies too much on quick cuts of animation. The animation is somewhat witty but you can't help but think if the director couldn't have done something else. While the film does pack in many interesting moments individually...it doesn't feel as if it fit together as a whole. This is mostly due to the fact that there was so much animation that it ruined the documentary part of the film.
Furthermore....the film features a very minimal amount of music. As a critic...I try not to focus too much on the music in a film but for a film about one of the greatest rock bands of all time...I couldn't help but want more White Room or even Badge.
I enjoyed Beware of Mr. Baker slightly. As I said..it does features many interesting moments but at the end of the day...they don't come together as a whole.The film does not do its subject justice, and there's nothing that annoys me more than a documentary that can't give its subject their fair due. I saw this at a film festival in which they asked us to rate the film 1-5, and although I am going to give it 2 and 1/2...I put a 3 on the ballot which means I liked it enough to give it a middling grade. On this ballot, 3 means OK. My thoughts exactly.
(2 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is not rated, but is equivalent to that of an R for talk of drugs and sex and overall adult themes)
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