Greystones Film Club: Mr Jimmy

As anyone who has met the mighty Alan Adamson will tell you, there’s something truly magical about undying hero worship. An everlasting love for your idol, that childhood obsession only burning stronger the older you get. For Alan, it’s Elvis. For Akio Sakurai, it’s Jimmy Page, and 35 years after playing along to Led Zeppelin records in his bedroom, that teenage thrill remains very much the same for this Japanese guitarist.

His particular level of obsession extends to copying every single note of every Jimmy Page guitar solo ever recorded – live or in the studio – along with every single stitch of the man’s onstage outfits, the same guitars, the same amps, the same stances. Channeling Jimmy Page is the man’s life, his identity, and getting to play a 2-hour show in front of his one and only true rock god launches Akio from 20 years of playing Tokyo clubs to moving to L.A., where his American dream hits both heavenly highs and Spinal Tap lows.

It makes for a fascinating documentary, as our method guitar hero goes from a man obsessed to a man possessed, stuck in a moment that’s actually someone else’s moment. Recreating the spontaneous is a thankless task, and even as success comes his way, we realise that Mr Jimmy might be stuck in Christmas Eve forever, his personal demons all in the meticulous attention to detail. A fable all about never giving up on your teenage dream, Mr Jimmy will hit a nerve in just about everyone who has, whilst possibly working as a cautionary tale for everyone who hasn’t. The Whale and the Greystones Film Club are very proud to turn it up to 11 for the Irish premiere for this award-winning documentary.