STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful
The year is 1976. The tiny island of Jamaica in the Caribbean is at war, with rival political factions vying for control with brutal violence. Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir), a rising reggae superstar, organises a concert of unity to try and heal divisions. The concert goes well, but afterwards Marley is the subject of a home invasion, where his wife, Rita (Lashana Lynch) is left for dead with a gunshot to the head. Refusing to be cowed, Marley takes some time away, and tries to gain inspiration for his mammoth, bestselling album Exodus.
A slew of, if not awful, at least distinctly average reviews have not had much in the way of bad results for Bob Marley: One Love, director Reinaldo Marcus-Green's much anticipated biopic of easily the most recognisable name in reggae music, Bob Marley. It must be one of the highest grossing box office films of the year so far, with a couple of major factors behind this. Firstly, a dedicated marketing campaign that ensured it got promoted in all quarters, and secondly a practically guaranteed broad appeal to longtime devotees of Marley, stretching over many years. It's quite possible, it seems, to generate hype even when the critics broadcast banality.
In spite of the lacklustre reviews, there has still been unanimous praise (from the same quarters) for the lead performance of Ben-Adir as the reggae icon, and there is no doubt that he is one of the very notable positives in the proceedings. He certainly manages to capture Marley's subtle mannerisms very well, and his wild, magnetic energy bursts out in his stage performances, complimented by his co-star Lynch as his wife and backing vocalist, who gives a passionate, committed energy in her role. While some have accused the film of glorifying Marley to sainthood, his flaws (his absence as a father, and philandering with other women) are documented. Sadly, there is little in the way of development in Marley's backstory, with what motivated him to become who he was, and his inspirations, which does hinder the film somewhat.
It has a bit more energy and magnetism to it than to be the TV movie of the week people are making it out as, but ultimately it's still an underwhelming and average effort that doesn't get under its subjects skin the way it should. ***
The year is 1976. The tiny island of Jamaica in the Caribbean is at war, with rival political factions vying for control with brutal violence. Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir), a rising reggae superstar, organises a concert of unity to try and heal divisions. The concert goes well, but afterwards Marley is the subject of a home invasion, where his wife, Rita (Lashana Lynch) is left for dead with a gunshot to the head. Refusing to be cowed, Marley takes some time away, and tries to gain inspiration for his mammoth, bestselling album Exodus.
A slew of, if not awful, at least distinctly average reviews have not had much in the way of bad results for Bob Marley: One Love, director Reinaldo Marcus-Green's much anticipated biopic of easily the most recognisable name in reggae music, Bob Marley. It must be one of the highest grossing box office films of the year so far, with a couple of major factors behind this. Firstly, a dedicated marketing campaign that ensured it got promoted in all quarters, and secondly a practically guaranteed broad appeal to longtime devotees of Marley, stretching over many years. It's quite possible, it seems, to generate hype even when the critics broadcast banality.
In spite of the lacklustre reviews, there has still been unanimous praise (from the same quarters) for the lead performance of Ben-Adir as the reggae icon, and there is no doubt that he is one of the very notable positives in the proceedings. He certainly manages to capture Marley's subtle mannerisms very well, and his wild, magnetic energy bursts out in his stage performances, complimented by his co-star Lynch as his wife and backing vocalist, who gives a passionate, committed energy in her role. While some have accused the film of glorifying Marley to sainthood, his flaws (his absence as a father, and philandering with other women) are documented. Sadly, there is little in the way of development in Marley's backstory, with what motivated him to become who he was, and his inspirations, which does hinder the film somewhat.
It has a bit more energy and magnetism to it than to be the TV movie of the week people are making it out as, but ultimately it's still an underwhelming and average effort that doesn't get under its subjects skin the way it should. ***