The pedestrian biopic “Rob Peace” is a quality drama that’s highly accessible to a wide range of audiences. This is an indie film with commercial appeal, even if actor, co-writer, and director Chiwetel Ejiofor’s storytelling feels far too familiar.
Adapted from the biography by Jeff Hobbs, the film tells the story of Robert Peace (Jay Will) , a boy who grew up in an impoverished area of New Jersey. Robert was lucky to have a nurturing mama (Mary J. Blige), who wanted the best for her little boy, and education was something instilled in him from a young age. After studying biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Yale, Peace graduated with huge ambitions. But when faced with mounting pressure from familial money troubles and a father (Ejiofor) incarcerated for murder, Peace began selling marijuana (which he makes more potent by utilizing his chemistry knowledge) as a side hustle to make ends meet.
I don’t need to tell you where his story ends, because you can easily guess. Films like this tend to end in tragedy, and Rob’s tale is no different. Ejiofor paints a portrait of a very smart man who makes a series of very dumb decisions. This divided life eventually broke Peace, who was just trying to live his own American Dream.
“Rob Peace” is a perfectly serviceable story that’s told well, strongly acted, and competently directed. Its biggest flaw is that it isn’t too memorable, but it’s an easy and entertaining watch.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 