Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Ginger Baker is known for playing in Cream and Blind Faith, but the world's greatest drummer didn’t hit his stride until 1972, when he arrived in Nigeria and discovered Fela Kuti's Afrobeat. After leaving Nigeria, Ginger returned to his pattern of drug-induced self-destruction, and countless groundbreaking musical works, eventually settling in South Africa, where the 73-year-old lives with his young bride and 39 polo ponies. This documentary includes interviews with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Carlos Santana and more. Beware of Mr. Baker! With every smash of the drum is a man smashing his way through life.
Beware of Mr. Baker is elevated primarily by its extraordinary subject — Ginger Baker is a genuinely singular figure whose life story spans Cream, Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, polo ponies, and chronic self-destruction, making the film feel unlike any other music documentary. Director Jay Bulger embeds himself in the film to memorable effect, literally getting his nose broken by Baker on camera, lending the doc an unpredictable, almost dangerous energy that sets it apart. The cinematography is competent but not exceptional — handheld intimacy serves the subject without dazzling visually. The plot follows a fairly standard arc of genius-meets-chaos biographical documentary, though Baker's story is wild enough to keep it compelling. The ending settles into a reflective but somewhat inconclusive portrait of an unreformed curmudgeon, satisfying without being particularly resonant. Interviews with Clapton, Winwood, and Santana add credibility and color but don't rise to the level of revelatory performance or acting craft.