Kingsley Ben-Adir

Bob Marley: One Love (2024): Every Little Thing Is Gonna be Boring

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Bob Marley: One Love” is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (We Own This City, King Richard) and stars Kingsley Ben-Adir (Secret Invasion, One Night in Miami…), Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die, Captain Marvel), and James Norton (Happy Valley, Flatliners). This film follows the titular reggae musician in his journey in music and to overcome his difficulties.

When I surf the Internet or have conversations in my social circles, one thing that sometimes comes up just so happens to movie trailers. Specifically, the idea of seeing the same trailer over and over again at the movie theater. I remember a colleague of mine saying that this happened to them for “Argylle.” And I can say that is one I remember seeing quite a bit as well. But if I had to name a trailer or marketing campaign that has done such a thing for me recently, it would be the one for “Bob Marley: One Love.” To be fair, they put the first trailer out months in advance, so it had the opportunity to be shown plenty of times. But almost every time I went to the movies, it flashed on the screen.

Based on the unlimited exposure “Bob Marley: One Love” has given me alone, I hoped it wouldn’t suck. Partially because, well, “Argylle” did. When you play a trailer enough times to equal a short movie, then I kind of hope by the time I see it, I don’t feel duped. That said, the movie did not look like the next big thing, but by no means did it look awful. There was potential between factors such as the story and Ben-Adir playing the lead role.

Unfortunately, when it comes to films about musicians or music in general, this failed to hit the right notes for me.

To be frank though, it made me question my intelligence. I understand a lot of movies. Sometimes I understand movies will mean certain things to certain people. Sometimes I get that art in general can be open-ended. “Bob Marley: One Love” seems for the most part, straightforward, but it reminded me of one of my weak spots. Languages.

I am not saying I refuse to learn or understand foreign languages, what I am saying is that whenever I am tasked with doing so, say for when I was in school, I found it to be incredibly difficult. But I am always thankful whenever movies have subtitles because they help me understand what is going on. “Bob Marley: One Love” is in English, but a lot of it is spoken through Jamaican accents, which I do not usually hear every day. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, I appreciate the authenticity. I just wish, and this harkens back to my struggles, I could have been more engaged with it.

I am NOT asking people from this movie to sound like they’re from Ohio. I am just saying that if I were able to see the future, I probably would have asked for a different fate where I could have subtitles flashing on screen throughout the film. Simple as that. It is sad that an issue like this is detracting from my overall experience, but facts are facts.

Ever since “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, International Feature during the 2020 edition of the ceremony, there is one quote I have often used in regards to watching certain movies.

“Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” -Bong Joon Ho

That quote specifically applies to foreign flicks or films not mostly executed in my native language, which would be English. But a part of me thought Bong Joon Ho’s quote could be applied to “Bob Marley: One Love” as well. The movie is part of the Hollywood system and heavily marketed to North American audiences, but as I watched the film, I had trouble deciphering some of what’s being said. Now, maybe my hearing is deteriorating. Maybe I watched “Oppenheimer” one too many times and now I’m paying the price. But it is also possible that I just was trying my best to understand every word that was being said by certain characters, and for whatever reason, it just wasn’t coming through. There is nothing wrong with authentic accents or voices that link to a certain part of the world. That said, if I were to go back and watch “Bob Marley: One Love” a second time, which I am probably not going to, I’d want subtitles.

I am going to give props to “Bob Marley: One Love” for perhaps delivering an authentic, lifelike experience when it comes to several characters interacting with each other or talking with one another. But if we are simply going by first impressions, I felt a little lost watching this film. A bit disengaged perhaps. Because for all I know, I could latch onto a number of the conversation scenes during this movie, but I could not pick up on everything the characters are saying. I remember a few years ago when I saw the 2021 remake of “West Side Story” for the first time and they had a few scenes where they had characters speaking in Spanish, and there were no subtitles on screen. For the record, I dropped out of Spanish I in high school a couple weeks into the class, so I’m no expert on the language. But even I got a sense of the context of what was going on without subtitles. Now when I look at “Bob Marley: One Love” it feels weird knowing that I am going from comprehending a language I do not speak, to not getting a clue of what was going on in this movie in English. I know not every movie can be universal to everyone. But my lack of understanding of what was going on through the dialogue severely hindered my experience. It could have been a lot better.

Even with my complaints, I will not deny that Kingsley Ben-Adir was a good pick to play the titular role. I thought he had charisma, pizzazz, and he also looked the part. And it is almost hard to imagine other people filling in the shoes of this role. When it comes to the overall chemistry in the film, Ben-Adir does a good job with latching onto just about every other character in sight. I am not saying this performance is going to win an Oscar, but as far this movie goes, he does a good job. And honestly, while there are no abominable performances in the movie, there are no other real standouts either.

But if there is another standout, I would have to say the soundtrack is sometimes pretty good. Obviously, this is a music-based film so this should not be a huge surprise, but the moments where we end up hearing Marley’s music make the film a tad better.

Although I want to talk about the part of the movie that for me, really let me down. The ending. It is not heartbreaking per se. It is not offensive to other people. It is by no means a crime against humanity. But the best way I can describe this ending, primarily from a filmmaking and cinematic perspective, is “lazy.” Because I came into this movie with a certain expectation, and once we get to the end, once it feels like we are getting to that point, the movie stops and delivers such an expectation in a way that honestly feels slapped together. I do not know how to talk about this moment without saying the words “spoiler alert,” which come to think of it, would be a weird thing to say about a movie based on real people and true events. But as we got to the ending, my pupils lit up, and my dilation nearly became an eyeroll. The movie started, to some degree, getting better. Or so I thought. It put a massive dent on what I already thought was an underwhelming experience.

The potential is there for a good story regarding this material in particular. I think it is a story that could make a figure like Bob Marley attach to a great span of this world. It would get a lot of people to feel bad for him and root for him. But there are so many little things in the movie that left me unsatisfied. The acting is okay, but I just wish I could have been more attached to the characters. Pacing-wise, “Bob Marley: One Love” is an enigma. The movie is somehow too long to catch my absolute interest. Yet as soon there are crevices where something actually manages to catch my interest, it does not take long for the movie to become boring. This movie came out the same weekend as “Madame Web,” which I saw first. “Bob Marley: One Love” is not “Madame Web” bad, but it is still not good.

In the end, “Bob Marley: One Love” is off-key. I was bored. I was disengaged. I wanted to leave. Now, the film is by no means the worst I have ever seen, but there is nothing that stands out about it that makes me want to watch it a second time. As conventional as say, “Bohemian Rhapsody” may appear, I was more engaged with that film and how it handles its characters. I thought it was a story where I could latch on from start to finish. Additionally, as much as I liked Ben-Adir’s lead performance, it is a far cry from Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. “Bob Marley: One Love” tries to take a compelling concept to the finish line. But in terms of execution, I felt it needed to pick up the pace just a bit. Maybe a second viewing with subtitles would make the experience better, but I was not riveted enough in my first viewing to warrant a second viewing. I am going to give “Bob Marley: One Love” a 4/10.

“Bob Marley: One Love” is now playing in theaters and is available to rent or buy on VOD.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for my most anticipated movie of 2024, “Dune Part Two.” Does it live up to the hype? You’ll have to wait and see. Also coming soon, I will have reviews for “High Tide,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Snack Shack,” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Bob Marley: One Love?” What did you think about it? Or, who is an artist whose story would make for a good biopic? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

One Night in Miami (2020): Four Icons, One Average Story

Posted on by Jack Drees

“One Night in Miami” is directed by Regina King (Ray, If Beale Street Could Talk) and stars Kingsley Ben-Adir (Vera, The OA), Eli Goree (The 100, Race), Aldis Hodge (Brian Banks, City on a Hill), and Leslie Odom Jr. (Murder on the Orient Express, Central Park). This film is also written by Kemp Powers, who wrote the play of the same name. The story revolves around four black men, Muhammed Ali, Malcom X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown as they meet in a hotel room and discuss their places in the Civil Rights Movement.

This film premiered last year in one cinema, appropriately in Miami, Florida. But of course, since I don’t live in Florida, and I don’t plan on setting foot there for some time, I did not see the film when it came out. However, the film has expanded to other territories, including my very own Massachusetts, and put itself on Prime Video for all subscribers. I decided to watch the film at home considering my supposed need to use my Prime subscription at one point or another.

You’re welcome, Jeff Bezos… Gosh I miss Sears.

Either way, going into “One Night in Miami” I did not watch any trailers (that I recall), and I do not think I read any synopsis or description about the film. Other than the facts that the film is on Amazon, directed by Regina King, and set in Miami, I knew nothing about this film. To me, it was almost like “Summerland” before I saw that film. Also, please watch “Summerland.”

With this in mind, I want to bring up something that movie viewers occasionally bring up. The power of marketing. Part of this is due to my lack of knowledge of the film, but going into “One Night in Miami,” based on the title, it almost seemed to be set in modern times, and it sort of had this “Entourage” feel to it. Everything felt kind of sexy.

This is the kind of confusion that comes about from not watching trailers. The film is vastly different from what I expected to be, both in terms of overall vibe and the storyline. I guess you can say part of this is my fault for perhaps being a lazy critic and not doing my homework, but at the same time, there are points where going in blind for a film has enhanced the experience. Perhaps doing so makes it worthwhile, because it gives you a fresh perspective and allows you to watch everything as if (or perhaps in a more literal sense) you were about to watch it for the first time.

With that being said, I wish “One Night in Miami” were a better movie. There have been some good movies over recent years involving the Civil Rights Movement and African American history. Movies like “Selma” and “Hidden Figures.” Both were entertaining and a great reflection of their respective times. Now, I wanted to like “One Night in Miami” and going back to what I just said. Knowing what a movie is about sort of improves the experience. When it starts, you have this boxing match. So I think to myself, “Is this a boxing movie?” Then I see a concert. I ask, “Is this about music?” Not really. It’s one of those movies where things sort of come together, but it took awhile for my brain to click and put all these elements into a puzzle. So, maybe it is my fault for being a brick, but nevertheless. During that time, it sort of shows that the movie needs better pacing. I sat on my bed wondering if this movie was going to go anywhere, and it felt like we spent an eternity trying to answer that question. I like when movies make the viewer ask questions. That can be engaging. That can be exciting. But for whatever reason, this movie took longer than an Amtrak ride from Boston to Washington DC to get me going.

I will spit out some positives though. For those who do not know, this is Regina King’s first feature theatrical release under her direction. King reveals that she has chops to be a competent director in the future if she decides to take on more projects. I would not mind seeing another drama from her. Maybe if she keeps that up, she could helm a blockbuster. I have faith she can continue to visualize solid content. As for how good that content will end up being, that is another question. Because I was not fully impressed with this outing.

With that in mind, getting invested in the main four characters almost felt difficult because I spent almost an hour just wondering whenever things were going to pick up. At the same though, it was fascinating to hear the four main characters interact, mainly because they all had a natural sense of chemistry. There is not one moment or slice of dialogue that did not feel wasted or unrealistic. All of it was raw, and occasionally compelling. I thought it was fascinating to see a transformation of Cassius Clay as he goes from one identity to another. But the man who’s story intrigued me the most has to be Sam Cooke.

The movie does a fine job at highlighting that despite the color of his skin, despite his heritage, despite coming across a supposed success, Cooke is perhaps partially aiding in the contributions of white people to a degree, including the Rolling Stones. Hearing him speak with Malcom X and listening to him reveal his personal history is probably the highlight of the movie for me. Malcom X confronts Cooke’s feel good music and notes Bob Dylan perhaps being a more popular reflector of social commentary. I think from start to finish, his story is partially reflective of what this movie is about, what it stands for, and the overall message it tries to convey. In the United States, black people may succeed, but sometimes it is with the assistance per se of white people. And in some ways, they help white people achieve their own success. The performances from scene one are all worthy of attention. I just wish it aided in a slightly better film.

I should note, this is my *first impression*. I did something for “One Night in Miami” that I don’t usually do. I noticed that the film has universal acclaim. There are positive reviews being handed over left and right. People are really enjoying this film. So I thought, what is wrong with me? Why can’t I like this movie? Granted, I was watching at home, where it is easy for me to get distracted. So I turned on the film again to see if anything has changed.

I will say that this film is better the second time around, and maybe it is because I understand the concept now. I think as a story, “One Night in Miami” is uniquely laid out and one of the more original tellings I have witnessed in recent memory, despite being somewhat based on true events and containing real historical figures.

As mentioned earlier, Sam Cooke is my favorite character in the film, and he is nicely performed by Leslie Odom Jr.. However, one performance that I also began to appreciate more the second time around is Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcom X. I think his mannerisms are superb and he admittedly kind of looks suave. I would not mind seeing Kingsley Ben-Adir in a spy movie sometime. I will also say that the first hour is most definitely better. Not only does it do a fine job at introducing the core characters, but some of the hour is quite entertaining between the boxing match, the early concert, and Jim Brown visiting the plantation.

But having said all this, when it comes to 2020 in film, this one will not likely be remembered as much as others. Who knows? Maybe with my recent experiment it gets better with each watch, and it was better the second time, so maybe that is a step in the right direction.

In the end, “One Night in Miami” may speak to some people, in fact it may speak to a lot of people, but for whatever reason, it was just not the right movie for me. Was it entertaining? Yes. But not entertaining enough. Was it compelling? Yes. But not compelling enough. Was it worth a rewatch? Sure. But part of me only did so to see if would actually improve the experience. And while it did so slightly, it did not sparkle and shine as much as I would want it to. I am going to give “One Night in Miami” a 6/10.

To me “One Night in Miami” is sort of like “Mank.” It is a movie that a lot of people saw, a lot of people like, and maybe it will end up getting some attention during awards season. Although for whatever reason, I could not fully connect with it. It is a passable film and there are good things about it. But I just wanted more, what else could I say?

“One Night in Miami” is now available in select theaters and on Prime Video for all subscribers. Get your tickets if a theater is open near you, or subscribe to Prime if you are not subscribed already.

Thanks for reading this review! I will say, I am not quite sure what my next review is going to be, but I will say as the crazy guy who always promotes IMAX, I have a special treat for those who are not in the loop. One of 2020’s most acclaimed films, “Nomadland,” is coming to select IMAX screens starting January 29th. Unfortunately, I might not be able to see it. I say so because as of writing this, the closest place showing the film is located in Paramus, New Jersey, which is about a three to four hour hike from where I live. But if anyone at IMAX reads this and wants to put more screenings in the Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or Rhode Island areas, I will make an effort to watch the movie and have my review up for it as soon as possible. We’ll have to see what happens. Be sure to follow Scene Before either with an email or WordPress account so you can stay tuned for more great content! Also, check out my Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “One Night in Miami?” What did you think about it? Or, what are your thoughts on Regina King as an entertainer? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!