Bob Marley One Love: A Review of the New Music Biopic
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| Bob Marley One Love Review |
Introduction
Bob Marley One Love, the new music biopic directed by
Ronaldo Marcus Green, is currently in theaters with a midweek release. The film
follows the life of the iconic musician Bob Marley, played by Kingsley Benadir,
during the last few years of his life as he works to invent a new sound to
bring the music of Jamaica to the world amidst massive political upheaval in
his home country.
Bob Marley One Love Trailer
A Story That Doesn't Settle
Bob Marley One Love starts out as an indepth look at
Marley's attempt to throw a free concert in 1976 as an election approaches in
Jamaica and his life is threatened, including an assassination attempt that
leaves him and many loved ones wounded. However, this storyline is quickly
resolved, and the film moves on to London, where Bob Marley and the Whalers
write and record the landmark album Exodus. The film then follows the band's
rise to international fame and the problems that come along with it.
The conflicts introduced in the London section of the
film are left hanging, and the film moves on to Bob Marley's illness and his
attempt to figure out what his legacy is going to be. This leads up to a major
concert that the audience doesn't get to see, which could have worked as an
emotional climax in the same way that Bohemian Rhapsody did to its great
benefit.
Flashbacks to Other Parts of Bob Marley's Life
Interspersed throughout the film are flashbacks to
other parts of Bob Marley's life, which are informative as to his past but
don't really tie in or add anything to the other stories being told. While the
music remains fantastic, the film doesn't provide a deeper look at the man
behind the music, leaving viewers with a desire to know more about Bob Marley
and how his music reflected his life.
Performances That Embody the Man
The performances in Bob Marley One Love are one of the
film's strongest points. Kingsley Benadir embodies Bob Marley while also coming
off as a character and not a caricature, which is difficult when playing
someone as wellknown as he is. Lesana Lynch's Rita is also great in what we see
of her, but the film could have been more focused and allowed for a deeper look
at her relationship with Bob.
The film's involvement of Bob Marley's family as
producers and their presence on set may have affected how the movie decided to
portray him, perhaps sanding off some of the edges. This is the same criticism
that people threw at Ronaldo Marcus Green's previous film, King Richard, which
had the direct approval of Venus and Serena Williams.
Understanding the Dialogue
One issue that some viewers may have with Bob Marley
One Love is understanding the dialogue. The actors' accents are very genuine
and authentic, but they can be tough to distinguish for an ear that's not used
to hearing that accent. It's not a criticism of the film or the actors, but
it's something to be aware of going in.
Final Thoughts
While Bob Marley One Love has its flaws, it's still a movie that many people are going to love simply because it reminds them of Bob Marley's music and his legacy. The film is going to do well at the box office, and a lot of the people that see the movie are going to like it. However, there is a deeper and more complex way to look at Bob Marley's life and legacy than what we get in the film, which could have helped viewers understand the man behind the music a little bit more.
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