Man from Mo'Wax is a brilliantly personal and well-made documentary that offers a unique insight into the life, work and mind of James Lavelle. One of the things i enjoyed the most is the fact that the viewer is able to feel so close to him and the story due to the amount of personal documentation from the very earliest stages of his interest in music as a 14 year old DJ all the way through his career which makes it feel intimate, not just an objective recounting of events, so the viewer can empathise with the stories told in the film. It's clear to see the amount of hard work and care it took to create this documentary over a decade and from over 700 hours of footage and I can't imagine it balanced any better than it has been. The passion for and faith in the story is evident all the way through.
The editing and directing really help keep a good pace for the film and make it stylish and cool - fitting for the music scene it depicts and the people involved in the story - and is consistently so. The stylish visuals and soundtrack make this film a pleasure to watch and keep it exciting, as well as followable. I also think the interviews were done really effectively, especially the way it returned to some of the same interviews throughout, such as a very young James talking about running Mo'Wax and the label's success.
It's particularly interesting to follow his struggle with being perceived as an artist in his own right as you can see his love of the music scene from his starting out as a DJ and that it was extremely important to him to be closely involved with the creative process, even when perceived as just the record label owner. This is one of the key issues that the film explores in some detail but without coming across as invasive.
The Southbank Meltdown seemed like a really important point and a good way to bring the documentary to a close as it almost feels like a kind of second chance for him career-wise, that it's something he's able to pour his heart into and work tirelessly to execute after a long time spent feeling somewhat hopeless in his professional and personal life. It also shows how he and his work has impacted so many people, shots of performances and crowds enjoying Unkle memorabilia and wearing their branded clothing creates a hopeful atmosphere for the ending of the film and I think it's really important for it to end on a positive, hopeful note after the rollercoaster the audience has experienced alongside James and the people he's worked with. We see this as an opportunity for him to become the credited creative director he's always strived to be and I think this is an effective facet to the film.
