Movie Review: BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE

Kimberly Pierce

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Kingsley Ben-Adir plays a guitar in concert in Bob Marley: One Love

There’s one solid sign of a great historical film or biopic: it makes you excited to leave the theater and do your own research. Friends, I am, admittedly, shamefully under-educated on Bob Marley’s career. Sure, I knew a few of his big songs, but little more than that. This, right here, is the reason I wanted to check out Bob Marley: One Love. I wanted to learn more and discover what I missed. Is the musical biopic “jamming” with goodness? Or will this hit a sour note? Read on. 

Bob Marley: One Love tells the story of the revolutionary singer and creator Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) as he survives an assassination attempt, produces one of his most influential albums, and develops his vital political and artistic work. Lashana Lynch and James Norton co-star in the film. Reinaldo Marcus Green directs Bob Marley: One Love from a script he co-wrote with Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers and Zach Baylin.

Kingsley Ben-Adir stands at the microphone on a concert stage flooded in orange light.
Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley”, Anna-Sharé Blake as “Judy Mowatt”, Lashana Lynch as “Rita Marley”, and Naomi Cowan as “Marcia Griffiths” in Bob Marley: One Love from Paramount Pictures.

Musical biopics often stand or fall on the shoulders of their lead performers. The difference between a critically acclaimed Oscar winner and a distracting mess is often the lead. As Marley, Ben-Adir gives a beautifully star-making performance and achieves a sweet and deeply personal charisma with Lynch. Together, this pairing truly is the movie’s beating heart.  

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At the same time, musical numbers (especially spotlighting such an iconic performer) can be a challenge in the music biopic. In some cases, these sequences can even be thankless inclusions. Dubbing can be distracting, while there are precious and few instances when a performer falls so deep into a role they carry the singing on their own. Ben-Adir finds a beautifully stated happy place here. A number of Marley’s biggest hits are performed on-screen, but they never fall into any familiar biopic tropes. In fact, at times, it was difficult to tell if he was even lipsyncing. 

Bob Marley: One Love is at its happiest and most comfortable focusing on Marley as a man and a musician. There’s an easygoing joy that feels truly at home in this creative world. Ben-Adir soars in his portrayal, and the camera loves watching him. In fact, it should come as no surprise that multiple members of the Marley family serve as producers on the film. This film loves Marley like a husband and father. 

Kinglsey Ben-Adir smiles as he sits in a chair in costume as Bob Marley.
Kinglsey Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in Bob Marley: One Love from Paramount Pictures.

Ultimately, Bob Marley: One Love‘s biggest problem truthfully is a good one. It needs to be longer. The film comes in at a borderline breezy one hour and 40 minutes. Unfortunately, this is altogether too short to tackle the complexity of the narrative they want to tell. This is a dense story with importance to not only Marley’s life but also a snapshot of cultural and race relations in Jamaica and Europe. 

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It probably isn’t a surprise to say the film bites off far more than it can chew. There are some truly fascinating parts here, but nothing quite gels into a seamless narrative. This becomes painfully true deep in the second act as the story devolves into a scattershot attempt to cover as much complicated ground as possible. Elements that might have led to potentially awards-caliber storytelling are dropped, only to be picked up when needed, with little to no development. 

When all is said and done, it’s difficult to tell who this movie is for. Thanks to a sensitive and grounded performance from Kingsley Ben-Adir, Bob Marley: One Love certainly feels like a love letter to Bob Marley. Musically, the film captures an easygoing, soaring sense of joy. At the same time, though, Marley’s world is hardly joyful. It’s inherently complicated.

Unfortunately, this story is so deeply rooted in these complicated external factors that the resulting film ends up feeling scattered and shallow. Marley’s fans will certainly enjoy the musical depictions, but those looking for an understanding of Marley as a player in this larger world will likely be disappointed. 

Bob Marley: One Love is now playing in theaters around the country. 

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Kimberly Pierce
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