वन नाइट इन मयामी...

Set against the 1960s and Ali's victory, four influential Black men meet in a motel room and talk about the role of civil rights, their responsibility of influence, how to fight, how to win, what does power mean. How all four men wielded their power different and the 'right way'

The conversation between Sam and 'Clay' in the car got me. The conversation of power to exist without constraint. Got me. 65 years and what these men dream haven't been fully realized.

'We aren't weapons' And the gut punch on the porch took my breath And Odon's voice

7.5 It was limited as a film as it was play first and seemed like Ma Rainey to have existed best like that. Still excellent but doesn't transfer seemlessly.

A stylish and promising debut from Regina King. While not as constantly engaging as I was hoping, it still features brilliant performances all around and some of the strongest directing I've seen all year; I would love to see the Oscar winning actress become an Oscar nominated director!

What do 4 African American community icons talk about in a hotel room in Miami?

It's a fictional meeting, yes, but the content discussed could not be more real.

The film focuses on civil rights and the increasingly influential role of African Americans in American society, whether in sport, music, politics or society in general.

The actors are perfect for the roles they play, giving essential authenticity to the story, and not just that each character was the raw reflection of the areas in which they are inserted.

The discussions / talks are captivating and well-paced, without any boring moments.

Regina King really knew how to make this film, without too much drama or too much "demonization" of the white man, and giving to the audience a truth that many still try to hide nowadays.

Overall, I think this was a very fine film. Affecting, intelligent. And a great "meeting of the minds" what-if scenario. Some things were better than others. The actor who played Ali nailed a young version of The Greatest. The Malcolm X character was played with some of the real Malcom's fervor and zeal. But having read Malcom X's biography, I find the real Malcolm was stronger and, at times, more severe than he was played here. I understand though the film wanted to capture more of his humanity and vulnerability, which I could appreciate. The boxing scenes didn't look like anything like the way the real Ali fought and were a bit flat. And it took quite a while for the film to get going. But once it does... once it brings these four great men together, it's very good.

This just became available on Amazon streaming movies. The "one night" reference is Feb 25th, 1964 in Miami, the night Cassius Clay (22), (later known as Muhammad Ali), surprised boxing fans by defeating Sonny Liston who threw in the towel after 6 rounds.

The four prominent friends were Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke. You see, I was in college at that time, all of them are were known to me, so seeing this stage play turned into a movie has a very relevant meaning.

Although it is based on a true story of real people, unfortunately there are no tape recordings of their conversations that night, and some facts were changed for dramatic effect, so it isn't possible to determine how "accurate" it is. Nonetheless it is a good depiction of the times and what these black men were facing, and some of the 1960s drive to overcome the rampant discrimination that existed. Of course the issue still isn't behind us, there is still a ways to go.

This is a good movie, especially for those of us who remember those days. I find myself wondering how it comes across to the younger (under 60) age groups.