Marley

The Observer“A bigger, baggier and simpler thing...” Perhaps this impressive, thoughtful portrait should have ended there. Instead, it concludes with a succession of Marley's hits being sung in a various languages by cheerful young people on every continent...

Empire“A masterful doc...” Kevin Macdonald packs his camera and follows in the gentle footsteps of reggae's godfather, Bob Marley, in a documentary that takes in friends, family and musical collaborators...

Total Film “A deep, absorbing portrait of a complex man...” Every second is earned in Macdonald’s long, generous and rigorously detailed Bob doc. You might wish for more live material but what’s here is stirring, probing and moving...

Little White Lies“Still, Marley exudes warmth. How could it not..? ” Macdonald makes full use of his access to the Marley family’s personal archives, uncovering demo tapes and unseen photographs. But more telling is the way he integrates these treasures into the often-disputed narrative of Bob’s life..

The Independent“The early years are the most interesting for being the least glossed...” The problem with Marley is the reverential distance it keeps. It's not quite a hagiography, but it's close. It isn't just about being economical with the truth. It affects the whole pace of the film...

Time Out“There’s a huge amount to enjoy...” Mercifully, while Macdonald has nothing but praise for Marley as a musician and political figurehead, he is willing to lay out the bare facts, warts and all....

Evening Standard“An appropriately exhaustive study of the man and his music...” Macdonald documents the assassination attempt that almost killed Marley and gets valuable comments on the man from a number of friends and co-workers who have never spoken before...

Guardian“What a compelling story it is...” Macdonald's overwhelming warmth and passion suffuses the picture, and the testimony he gets from Marley's friends, family and fellow band members has pungency and insight...

The Telegraph“Comes from an admirably wide range of talking heads...” It’s all delivered with such rich, campfire-crackly conviction that the stories feel thrillingly intimate...