Film Review: Bloodlight and Bami

Grace Jones is an electrifying force: an art-rock glamazon who was a friend of Andy Warhol; a roommate of Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange; and an icon whose influence still reverberates through art, fashion, music and culture.

Director Sophie Fiennes counts on the audience already understanding this near-mythological legacy, as her film Bloodlight And Bami eschews the traditional format of music documentaries. Instead Fiennes follows Jones through a particular period in her life, as she records her 2008 album Hurricane, and attempts to capture her essence without commentary.

Intercutting Fiennes' cinema verite footage of Jones' globetrotting are performances from her remarkable 2016 show in Dublin's Olympia. The truly unique concert showcased not only Jones' charisma, artistic vision and stage presence, but the intimately autobiographical nature of her songs - the lyrics of which underscore the emotional truths observed by Fiennes' camera.

Fiennes also captures revealing conversations between Jones' family in Jamaica, where they discuss the abuse inflicted upon Grace and her siblings by their grandmother's second husband, nicknamed 'Mas P'; a force Jones still feels in her most powerful performances.

However, by providing virtually no context for Jones' legacy or onscreen conversations, and little insight into either her richly textured past or her plans for the future, Bloodlight And Bami misses the opportunity to provide narrative heft and cultural weight. For knowledgeable fans, it will provide welcome glimpses of Jones' personality and a great show. For others, it may feel like a disappointing misfire that doesn't fully celebrate the wonder that is Amazing Grace.

6/10