PG-13 2024 Musical/Drama 1h 47m
Bob Marley: One Love is not the prototypical musical biopic. Although several flashbacks shine a light on Bob Marley’s childhood and his arrival on the music scene, the picture is bookended by two peace concerts in Jamaica in the 1970s when Bob was already at the height of his fame. Bob’s son, Ziggy, is a producer on the film and has a quick appearance before the movie to tell the audience he was on set almost every day to make sure the movie was authentic. Since he knew his father better than I, I’ll take him at his word.
Based on the trailers, I was afraid One Love might be too flat or by the numbers, but Bob Marley is portrayed well by Kingsley Ben-Adir (Malcolm X in One Night In Miami). Ben-Adir doesn’t play a caricature; he tries to inhabit Marley and bring him to life. I think he does this successfully. One note: he is notably more handsome than Bob Marley. I predict Kingsley Ben-Adir will have a bright future.
Another worry I have with any biopic is that the subject will be portrayed as a saint. Marley is depicted as having many strengths and this shows why some view him as a hero, but we also see some of his flaws. His wife is put upon by his womanizing. Marley is shown to lose his temper. If you view drug use as a weakness, then his widespread use of marijuana checks that box.
I know many people who turn on closed captions when watching a British program so they can understand what is being said. If you are one of those people, I recommend waiting to watch this movie at home with your closed captions on. The Jamaican accents in this movie are THICK. I will confess to missing many lines of dialog and deferring to the sentiment being expressed.
As expected, Marley’s music is played throughout the movie. It doesn’t disappoint. There’s a reason he is still relevant over 40 years after his death.
One Love Drinking Game: take a shot any time someone says "Rasta." (Warning: you will die of alcohol poisoning.)
I enjoyed One Love, but would recommend waiting to stream it.
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