By Elliot Lines September 11, 2024
The story of Rob Peace is a tale of a young man torn between the brilliance of his mind and the perseverance to clear his fathers name. Told by his old room-mate Jeff Hobbs in biography The Short and Tragic Life of Rob Peace, the tale has now been adapted by Chiwetel Ejiofor into a feature length film.
Ejiofor's 'Rob Peace' empathetically explores the tragic life of this young man, showcasing the troubles he faces from his past, but also the bearing weight on him to solve others futures. Lead Jay Will throws on an emotional performance as titular character Robert Peace, breathing life into this story.
Synopsis
'Rob Peace' is based on Jeff Hobbs’ bestselling and critically acclaimed work of non-fiction. Robert Peace grew up in an impoverished section of Newark and later graduated from Yale on scholarship. Peace led a dual life in academia earning degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry while also selling marijuana to aid his father who he believed was unjustly imprisoned for murder.
Review
Robert Peace's life may have been short, but was most certainly interesting and eventful. Growing up in the city of Orange, near Newark, Rob Peace from an early age showed his genius. However, when his father Skeet (Chiwetel Ejiofor) was sent to prison for the murder of two women, Rob vowed to clear his fathers name, setting his path in life. The young man worked hard, getting into Yale, but the promise he kept never left him, which turned him to using his genius to sell drugs. This life came and went, but ultimately would catch up to him in the end.
Ejiofor impress' with his direction of this man's story. With a runtime of just 120 minutes, he manages to cram in plenty. The film moves at a quick pace, never sticking around in one moment too long. You're constantly being thrown into the next step in Rob's life, and due to this at times 'Rob Peace' does feel like it needs time to breathe, maybe this would've have been better served as a mini-series. This is especially evident when it comes down to the latter part or Rob's life, with the end feeling squashed compared to other years of his life. That said, there is plenty to admire, with the story and timeline being clear and concise throughout.
'Rob Peace' gives its titular character many different social situations to overcome. At Yale from the start there is a clear racial divide, but that doesn't stop him thriving not only academically but socially too. The other comes with the relationship with his father. Throughout the film Skeet selfishly becomes more and more desperate to get out, putting more pressure on Rob, this causes him to question the legitimacy of his fathers case. This brings about some of the best scenes in the film with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jay Will coming head to head in emotional circumstances.
Will and Ejiofor are most certainly the standouts here, but their supporting cast also offer plenty. Mary J. Blige offers a grounded individual as his mother, that just doesn't want Rob falling into the criminal life. Camilla Cabello occasionally appears as Rob's girlfriend, providing some intimate moments of love and affection. Then there's a whole host of friends from different backgrounds that are on this journey with him. All of the cast is given a purpose to aid the telling of this story.
'Rob Peace' is a tragic story of how this young man is caught up in-between two different directions in life. Chiwetel Ejiofor's second feature film is a real interesting watch, telling the short life of Robert Peace. However, the standout of 'Rob Peace' is lead Jay Will who gives an emotional performance across the entire duration of the film.
Star Rating
'Rob Peace' is out now in cinemas
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