Don Reviews "Bob Marley: One Love"

As long as there has been music, there has been the debate of the greatest works, especially within a specific genre whether it be rock, country, soul, or in the case of Bob Marley: One Love, reggae.  Each person carries their own set of criteria, but the amount of music lovers that hold Marley in high regard is very high, which is why his story is being told in this new film.

Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) directs here with a cast that includes Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton, Sevana, Hector Lewis, and Aston Barrett Jr.  Marley’s story is told starting in 1976 during political unrest in his home country of Jamaica.  From an attempt on his life through all of the personal political, and professional trials and tribulations he deals with, it all culminates at the famous 1978 concert for peace.

Ben-Adir does a phenomenal job playing Marley, really capturing everything from his accent and mannerisms to even the music (which he actually does himself for at least a portion).  He really does disappear into this role that is top-notch that I would put on the level of Val Kilmer in The Doors.  I also have to give a shout out to Lynch’s performance as Rita Marley who has great chemistry with Ben-Adir as they portray the way they deal with both each other and the world around them.  Alongside some of his amazing music, it all blends together very well. 

Unfortunately for a film that only deals with a short time of Marley’s life (which was not expecting based on the trailer), the script tends to move slowly.  Yes, it does flashbacks to major past events in his life, but it mostly in ten-second clips very little detail.  For a runtime of just over 100 minutes, there are a lot of events that could have been easily cut in order to go into more detail on other events that are barely mentioned if at all.   More than a biopic, I feel like Green is trying to make a political statement with Bob Marley: One Love than truly show his life, which is why I will only recommend seeing it at home on a pay cable channel like HBO.