Bob Marley: One Love

A Marley fan, I went in worried having read the critics reviews ultimately saying it's "ok" with some great performances but a missed opportunity as it's bubblegum Marley.

I disagree, this was a compelling and entertaining movie, sure there is some rich material that was left untapped, but it would take a Netflix series to unwrap his life - one day maybe!

Endorsed by and produced by the Marley family, it's clear that they wanted it to be about hope, love, unity and the making of his definitive album; Exodus. But they also did touch on some of the tougher material - but maybe didn't dwell on it as much as the critics would like. We don't witness his ill health and death, but do we really need to? I don't think so.

Lots of references and small touches that will resonate with those who know his story well, that may be missed by others. If you know, you know and that adds an extra layer, but none of that knowledge is needed to enjoy the movie.

The soundtrack is of course fantastic and acts as a narrative through the movie, there is emotion, joy and a clear mission.

A very well executed, and acted, biopic that although pulls a few punches, doesn't fail to entertain and give the viewer a window into Marley. Yes it leaves you wanting more...but thats fine by me. Come on Netflix :)

My wife and I attended a screening of Bob Marley: One Love (2024) last night. The narrative traces Bob Marley's journey to fame, navigating the violence in his home and channeling it as a creative force for success. We glimpse flashbacks of his family life, marked by maternal abandonment and the pivotal role of his wife in propelling him from adversity to stardom.

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard), the film features Kingsley Ben-Adir (Peaky Blinders), Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die), Aston Barrett Jr., James Norton (Little Women), and Tosin Cole (House Party).

The movie presents an uneven experience, with aspects that captivated me and others that fell short. The exploration of Marley's upbringing and its surrounding circumstances was excellent and enlightening, and the love story was compelling. The portrayal of Marley's global and domestic influence was also commendable. However, Kingsley Ben-Adir's attempt to embody Marley's unique, awkward, and unpredictable persona felt somewhat inauthentic. His meticulously perfect wig and attire contrasted with Marley's natural, islander vibe as seen in videos during the closing credits.

In conclusion, Bob Marley: One Love offers worthwhile elements, but it falls short of elite status, akin to films like Ray or Walk the Line. I'd give it a 6/10 and suggest watching it at least once.

We went to see this movie on a whim and although I am not someone who listens to reggae music, I would like to learn more about it and see what Bob Marley was in our world. The story was not the easiest to follow because it it jumped around in time, which isn't usually difficult to follow, but it was in this movie. There were aspects missing that would have brought this movie together much better.

I found I enjoyed the music very much and I did get a sense of why Bob Marley was an important figurehead in the attempt of taking away hate at teaching love to all.

I thought the actress who played Bob's wife was fantastic. I felt a lot of pain and strife that she must have experienced as the celebrity status of her husband soared. To me, she was the best part of the movie.

This was an interesting movie with fine performances, but it felt a bit rushed and scattered in it's writing.

We do have a lengthy cast list here but One Love is anchored/carried by 2 performances. Kingsley Ben-Adir has the screen presence to carry this project, he nails the accent and even has a lot of physicality to his work in One Love. The emotion he brings to the table helps you understand why Bob Marley was idolized and beloved by so many. I wish the movie had explored more periods of Bob Marley's life just so we could have seen what Kingsley would have brought to them. I expected Ben-Adir to be good but the more surprising but equally impressive acting came from Lashana Lynch as Bob Marley's wife Rita. I've only seen Lashana previously in tentpole-esque studio fare (No Time to Die and Captain Marvel) but she transforms in One Love and I hope both her and Kingsley get some awards consideration. To the movie's credit, both Bob and Rita are presented as complex and multi-layered characters and represent the clay that Kingsley and Lashana moulded beautifully with their work in One Love.

It's a more minor note but one of the surprise boxes One Love ticks is that I think it's filmed/shot well. The camera work highlights some of Jamaica's natural beauty but also shows some of the less camera friendly aspects of it as well. The CGI isn't top-notch but it wasn't bad enough to draw attention to. I have a friend who I saw the movie with who visited Jamaica and she was calling out parts of the country she toured in her vacation. I can't call One Love a visual tour de force but there were shots littered throughout the movie that caught my attention and I think it's worth crediting the team for their work in this film.

So far, you may be confused on why my rating for Bob Marley: One Love is so low and it does have a lot of notable pluses. But the unfortunate truth of the matter is that despite the acting and cinematography being striking and stimulating, the odd structure the movie insists on using to reveal its narrative really hampers the proceedings. My best friend compared the movie's structure as counting to 10 as if it were 1,4,7,2,5. The film is disorganized and almost confusing unless you're intimately familiar with Marley's life (I'm passively familiar at best, I did like some of his music and I knew he passed away relatively young). Subplots are created and dropped (e.g. Marley's greedy business manager, the drama surrounding Marley's father, the political unrest in Jamaica in the mid 1970s) frequently and it helps stop the movie from gelling together appropriately. It also dampens the impact of Marley's passing because the fact he's terminally ill is introduced so late that you can't get emotionally invested. There's a pretty concrete formula about how to operate in this genre and while I admire the screenwriter's attempt to try something different, it does the movie a disservice instead.

Everything to create a compelling and informative film about Bob Marley's life was here. We have some terrific performances, some interesting cinematography and Marley and his story are inspiring and his message still prescient even today. But the result of One Love is a puzzling and mildly disappointing misfire, I understand that the studio and the creative team wanting to circumvent the formula but you still have to justify it by showing us a new angle or creating something memorable. Bob Marley: One Love as a product is fine but I think its subject deserved a better movie. I'd really rate One Love somewhere between a 6-7 but I rounding down because of what they squandered in this production. One Love is still worth a watch but as we frequently get some really fantastic movies in this genre, I'd recommend it only to Marley fans as there's better films about other musicians available for your viewing pleasure.

When watching the trailers I was scared they were gonna focus more on the music than on the man, and that's exactly what happens.

I feel like they remained só surface level on Bob Marley, the man, and focused more on what his music brought. And I think that's what happens when family is heavily involved in the movie, because they will want to play safe, and that's what this movie does, with the character of Bob Marley.

The screenplay also didn't feel like a final draft, some of the dialogue felt repetitive, and some of it, quite cringy. And for negatives that's what I have.

Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch absolutely kill it, they are fantastic and an early Oscar contender performances. Another thing I was scared was the accents, because at times they can go to over the top and make it feel like a parody, but they weren't they nailed it.

The music was also emaculate, if you're a fan of his music, you'll love what they did, and how they paid their respects.

I feel like for the right audience this definitely will be amazing. It's a cool movie, fun time. I just wish we could learn more about Bob Marley, not just his music.