Bob Marley: One Love (2024) - REVIEW
(Edited)
Last night I had the chance to watch Bob Marley: One Love (2024) released on Theaters past February 14 on the US and now getting its way into streaming platforms, ever since its release it caught my attention how divided opinions over it are extremely divided online, its a biopic so not easy at all to fit so much history on a movie, through time I have notice that its not about fitting the entire story but focus on a certain aspect or events about the character because I think you will never be able to cover most of his story nor fully satisfy the audience. This movie doesn't escape that reality, if you ask my opinion as an average viewer who is not a reader and knows nothing about how factual the movie is.
From my understanding of the movie, it focus on three events from Bob Marley life:
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- Route to Smile Jamaica concert
- Album & EU Tour, Exodus
- Route to Africa Tour
Everything else on the movie is just snippets of his life, some of them should actually be better if not mention because generate more questions than answers.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8521778/
- Platform: Amazon
- Theater Release: February 14, 2024
Movie starts with Jamaica split in half after in 1976 they finally got their independence from the British, two political parties fight for the power but not only on debates but also on the streets, gangs are involve in this situation, from what the movie shows it was hell between the gun fight from gang members and on top the military repressing their people probably looking for those promoting violence on the streets, Bob Marley not directly representing a political party but seen close to some of this gang members, this is a topic that is not develop during the entire movie as on the first part they focus on the events prior a concert he was having with the idea to unite the people.
Bob Marley had fans all over Jamaica, he was THE icon of Reggae Music at the moment but his involvement with this gang members who represent political parties generate hate and envy from those on the opposite side, to the point that there was an attempt to terminate him, in the process his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor got shot, Rita on the head but her dreadlocks safe her life, reducing the speed and absorbing part of the impact. Don Taylor contribution to the story should have ended here, he got shot continue been the manager and that's it but then latter on they show Bob beating Don because he was taking money behind close doors from other promoters when Bob told him the Africa concert was not about money, this is one of the topics that opens the door for more questions about their relationship but that's it they don't give more details about.
I think that such positive and love story can't be hated, critics might have a harsh opinion about the way the movie was develop although seems like a lot of people like it, for example during the entire movie the figure of Rita was a strong case of a women dedicated to her family and husband career, she was part of the band, the night of Smile Jamaica concert after the 1976 assassination attempt; Rita checked out the Hospital and went to sing next to Bob and the band.
I can't say Kingsley was brilliant but I really like his acting, his accent, facial expression almost never serious and always smiling, how he imitates Bob style of dancing, felt natural but I'm not sure if he had the right face to represent this character, if you look for Bob Marley pictures online its day and night, they are not even close.
After the concert Bob got tired of the violence and decided to stay in England for a while, away from family and taking a break before starting to work on a new album and tour over Europe and with further plans to go to Africa. Its on this part of the movie that they try to push Don Taylore figure and make him relevant when actually does not feels he was, this part of the movie should probably focus more on the development and recording of the album Exodus.
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I do like how the movie tries to expose how Bob to a certain degree got trap into the world of fame, attending all this fancy parties, people who love his music, kinda make him partially put aside his love ones, including his wife and family, during the movie Rita does emphasizes how she was there for him when he only had one shirt, probably a metaphor that she was there fro the very start and will be there til the end.
I really enjoy the part when Bob explains his new guitarist the mission and vision of his music, the way Kingsley express and talks was very smooth controlling the his Jamaican accent, not saying its perfect since I can't say by the accent who is or not from Jamaica, its just my perception as a regular viewer.
Now what I did not like, we see Kingsley going wild improvising Exodus song at home in England with a specific tone of voice and then when singing next to his children back home in Jamaica it was a totally different voice like they play the original song, this I didn't enjoy at all because look ans sound so fake.
Over all I enjoy the movie but as I mention there were certain topics that should not be mention because it might make viewers feel lost or that there is a void, questions that need to be answer, Kingsley did a good job at representing the character of Bob Marley, the entire movie felt like listening to a Bob Marley playlist and this was very clever, who doesn't like Bob Marley music? other characters like Rita Marley played by Lashana Lynch did very well focusing or representing his wife only and not another singer from the band, I think if they made a mini series about Bob Marley with the same concept the story could expand its wing and cover more of all this details left behind, tell more about Jamaica situation back then, the relationship between Bob and his manager Don, cover the Africa concert, tell more about his initiation on the Rasta culture, it would be awesome.
#bobmarley, #review, #movie, #biopic, #rasta, #concert, #jamaica, #1976, #milatary, #gang, #politics, #independence, #iandai
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