“Rob Peace” – based on the biography “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace” by Jeff Hobbs – hit the big screen this past week during the 40th anniversary of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City.
Hobbs’ book tells the real story of Robert DeShaun Pearce, a man who left New Jersey to attend Yale University but then returned home to help his father following a double murder conviction. Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor wrote and directed the film adaptation, and he also stars as Rob’s father, Skeet Douglas. This is Ejiofor’s sophomore directing effort following 2019’s “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.”
“With directing it has its own challenges, but allowing yourself to be both the director and the actor in the spaces that you need to be those things,” Ejiofor stated. “These things work in direct opposition, so giving yourself a break and finding the space to do the things that you want to the best of your ability is really important.”
The movie opens in 1980s Newark with a young version of Rob (played by Jelani Dacres), who showcases his brilliance in math for his father by calculating the New York Yankees’ batting averages in his head.
Through a series of events, Rob’s father is years later convicted of double murder – and despite the wishes of his mother (Mary J. Blige) to move on and focus on getting an education, Rob remains determined to simultaneously prove his father’s innocence.
Even when Rob leaves his neighborhood for Yale, he continues to face pressure from his father, who demands help for his legal troubles. Eventually, the situation ends up changing for the worse, forcing Rob to live a dual life that jeopardizes everything he’s worked for.
The film’s pacing moves quickly, covering Rob’s childhood, teenage and adult portions of his life in just under two hours. It is Jay Will’s performance as adult Rob, however, that stands out and is nothing short of brilliant. There is a moment between Will and Ejiofor in the last scene they would do together, that is emotionally charged and beyond powerful. Will elevates the character to a completely different level, and he manages to carry every scene he’s in.
“Working with Chiwetel challenged me as an actor to go into a much deeper level,” Will stated. “When you think you have it all figured out there’s always way more interpretation you can go so working with Chiwetel was a master class.”
The film explores the social mobility of education, race, housing and the criminal justice system. However, given the broad themes at hand, the movie at times feels rushed, falling short of the depth each idea deserves.
3.5/5
