"Made in Jamaica" is a powerful portrait of the leaders of the reggae music Movement, and how Reggae has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film showcases performances by the best Reggae and Dance Hall artists ever assembled. From their native ghetto to international fame, "Made in Jamaica" is the story of the artists who represent the Jamaican Dream.--©Official Site
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Reviews
The Guardian
Peter Bradshaw
“A lively documentary, although it passes lightly over the ugly side of dancehall, and its boorish attitudes to gay men.”
22/10/2009
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Time Out
Trevor Johnston
“Moreover, the diversity of the music itself defeats any organising principle – dancehall headliner Elephant Man, for instance, lurches from gangsta provocation to a Marley cover, then asks the ladies in the front row to touch his ‘anaconda’. Diffuse, but worthwhile.”
22/10/2009
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The Times
Ed Potton
“As a history of the most musically creative island in the Caribbean, it’s inevitably incomplete, although there’s an impressive breadth of interviewees, from soulful elder statesmen such as Bunny Wailer, Toots and Gregory Isaac, to contemporary Jamaican stars such as Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and Lady Saw.”
24/10/2009
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The Sunday Times
Edward Porter
“Not being a reggae expert, I’d have preferred Laperrousaz to give more information about the music’s history. And fans will probably find the film’s performance clips annoyingly short.”
25/10/2009
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Total Film
Carmen Gray
“Alas, the haphazard structure chafes against its gritty aspirations.”
22/10/2009
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Channel 4 Film
Jon Fortgang
“It's a chaotic journey through the unreported world of dancehall - a controversial, booty-shaking offshoot of reggae - but for outsiders looking in, Made In Jamaica is a frustratingly unilluminating experience, seeped in the scene itself but without any clear sense of form or direction.”
26/10/2009
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Empire Magazine
Anna Smith
“Performance footage is intercut with interviews with musicians including Toots, Bunny Wailer and Bounty Killer. But there’s no real sense of direction: talking heads ramble about politics, guns and music without forming a clear picture.”
26/10/2009
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The Observer
Philip French
“Some of the performers are hugely likable, especially the older ones. But a couple are extremely unpleasant, most especially Animal Man, who encourages members of the audience to simulate sex on stage and invites young women to stretch up and "feel my anaconda". The film concludes with him singing the Jamaican national anthem.”
25/10/2009
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The Daily Telegraph
Tim Robey
“I found it hard to warm to this overlong documentary about new trends in reggae, perhaps because of the sense that all the less savoury aspects of that culture were being softballed.”
22/10/2009
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The Independent on Sunday
Nicholas Barber
“Stick to the soundtrack album.”
25/10/2009
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