Beware of Mr. Baker

Beware of Mr. Baker (2012)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Highly entertaining documentary taking a look at the troubled career of Ginger Baker, a drummer who is considered by many to be the greatest to ever live. The documentary shows why he helped make groups like Cream so memorable yet the film also shows why he ended up broke, unable to find a job and being rejected by many who admired him. BEWARE OF MR. BAKER is an exceptional documentary because it doesn't try to cover up Ginger Baker's rather problematic life but it's also not exploitation by only showing how "crazy" he is. Instead I thought filmmaker Jay Bulger did a wonderful job at really giving you a honest and complete look at this man who is probably his own worse enemy. We get interviews with Baker, his three ex-wives, his son and daughter, Eric Clapton as well as countless other drummers including those in The Police, Pink Flloyd, Black Sabbath and The Rolling Stones. The film has plenty of archival clips of the young Baker coming into his own and it also ventures into his career in South Africa where he was pretty much working for nothing. His love of animals is also on full display as well as him mocking himself for his attempted acting career. If you're a fan of classic rock then this here is certainly a must-see. There's no denying that Baker managed to influence pretty much every drummer who came after him yet very few know who he is.