Bob Marley: One Love (M)
Directed by: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch
Review by: Julian Wright
A significant chapter of reggae singer/songwriter Bob Marley’s life is recreated to provide a window into what made the legendary artist tick.
In 1976, two political parties in Jamaica are at loggerheads in a conflict that is so intense that it is spilling into the community.
Just days before a music concert he wants to hold to bring peace and unity to his fellow Jamaicans, Bob Marley is shot by a political activist, but nevertheless goes ahead with the public performance in an act of bravery and defiance.
He then packs up and relocates to London to escape the tension and work on a new album, which becomes the hugely successful Exodus album.
Despite a few flashbacks to his childhood to let us know he grew up poor and abandoned by his white British father, Bob Marley: One Love focuses on one chapter of the man’s life in an attempt to capture the essence of who he really was.
The script dodges expectation by making the post-shooting concert part of the journey and not the film’s destination, allowing us to see the after-math, though admittedly what follows is not as dramatically interesting.
What we get is a lovely showcase of the music (some real toe-tapping moments), great lead performances by Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch, who plays his wife and back-up singer Rita, and an inspirational message about standing up for peace (timely, given current worldwide events).
We get glimpses of the darker side of Marley’s personality, including a violent altercation, but this biopic mostly plays it safe (close family members were heavily involved in the making of the film).
Bob Marley: One Love may not end up on any “best biopics” lists. but at the very least, it serves as an entry-point to the man’s music for the uninitiated; undoubtedly a few people will jump on Spotify after seeing the film to enjoy the reggae tunes.
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