Bob Marley is arguably among the most influential musicians of the last 100 years, and perhaps of all time. His new biography film Bob Marley: One Love won’t be as revered as its subject’s music, but it’s alright as a introduction to Marley’s philosophy and legacy.
Music and history buffs will enjoy this formulaic biopic more than most audiences, but the story is a lot of the same event over and over: Bob’s indecision on how to help the civil violence in Jamaica though the 1970s.
Director Reinaldo Marcus Green (of 2021’s King Richard fame) helms this movie focusing on two years in Marley’s life, bookended by concerts in Jamaica to promote both local and global peace. It’s smart to focus on a pivotal chapter instead of an entire life, but the script’s focus is too slow paced.
Half of the run time devoted to Marley’s dialogue, conflict and music is terrific. Sadly, there are several scenes too many of watching him contemplate and disengage with other artists on screen, and that makes for uneven pacing and sometimes dull to watch.
Far more compelling is Kingsley Ben-Adir’s (One Night in Miami…) lead performance as Marley, who jams and justifies the man with exceptional character commitment and authenticity. His performance alone makes this worth seeing for music buffs.
By far the most compelling scene in the film is watching Bob build the instrumental layers of his 1977 single “Exodus”, including his improvising the lyrics. What starts as a living room concert quickly evolves into most authentic look at his discography.
This is the only scene in the movie where the story looks at the science of his music and how reggae is crafted. Because it was so integral to Marley’s work, I would’ve loved to see much more of this in the story.
There is something striking about watching rival politicians from Jamaica asking Bob to come home and perform a concert calling for a ceasefire to end the growing local violence. As history, that takes on an added weight to audiences in 2024 - and highlights the courage it took for Marley to stage his peaceful demonstrations.
Don’t worry - even if this is too quiet and broad a look at the work of Bob Marley, it’s still a great introduction to a man worth crafting cinema around. And if this is how new audiences his music, then maybe every little thing is gonna be alright after all.
Bob Marley: One Love
5 out of 10
PG, 1hr 44mins. Music Biography History Drama.
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.
Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch.
Now Playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, Cineplex Winston Churchill & VIP and Cineplex Oakville & VIP.
