Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Bob Marley: One Love is solid albeit fairly straightforward snapshot biopic buoyed by excellent performances from Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch. Reinaldo Marcus Green treats his central subject with the sort of reverence and respect you'd expect especially with Marley’s widow and son serving as executive producers. Green's directs the film with a steady, self assured hand which makes the film an easy watch from start to finish especially since Marley's songs are interspersed throughout. Green does add in a few visual flourishes in the form of a recurring vision that Marley sees which is visually impactful enough to make you wish he'd added more throughout the story. A handful of flashback to Marley’s early years, with solid performances from Quan-Dajai Henriques and Nia Ashi, add some texture to his story of his upbringing before moving back to its central story carried Kingsley Ben-Adir. Ben-Adir is excellent throughout, showing a full level of commitment to the role. He captures Marley's persona, speech patterns and unique style of performing during his concerts. He manages to go above mimicry when the film gives him a chance to dig into some of the meatier portions of the man. Lashana Lynch is just as strong as Marley's wife, Rita, with the two sharing some intense and insightful moments later in the film. Sadly, there isn't enough of those sequences as we are left with the feeling that we're only scratching the surface of their relationship and ultimately Marley's motivation and turmoil. The film's final act, especially after his cancer diagnosis, moves unusually fast as it rushes to the finale which ends with a combination of archival footage and title cards. It’s a strange choice since the film barely started scratching deeper into the man and it ultimately keeps Bob Marley: One Love from being the in depth dive into the man as opposed to a quick overview.
B
