I wanted to give Bob Marley: One Love a chance, and please grant me some leeway as I’m not the biggest Bob Marley fan. However, I found it to be just another boring and bland entry into the musician biopic genre. I believe this genre is tired at this point but has the potential to be elevated into something special, which I felt was missing here. It’s not terrible, but it certainly has its flaws.
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Firstly, Kingsley Ben-Adir delivers a fantastic performance in the role. He effortlessly embodies Marley’s never-ending charisma, stumbling into the role with remarkable ease. Similarly, Lashana Lynch shines brightly. Though she has less screen time than Ben-Adir, Lynch absolutely captivates with her powerful monologues toward the end. However, it’s unfortunate that she is mostly relegated to the “wife of” role, a concern I had, especially considering Aunjanue Ellis’ portrayal in the director’s previous work, King Richard.
The concert scenes in Bob Marley: One Love are well put together, I’ll admit. I appreciate how they seamlessly transition into visions from his past, using some cool imagery (though somewhat tame). However, as a biopic, it offers nothing particularly new. What works about it is standard in every biopic, and what doesn’t work in those doesn’t work here either. My biggest issue was with how they balanced Marley’s life. Considering his significant role in political movements and his outspoken nature, it would have been bold or at least interesting to see him dip his toe into those waters.
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However, the film shies away from those bold decisions. Instead, it predominantly focuses on his music-making journey, which is acceptable but predictable. Nothing truly surprised or captivated me; it all unfolded more or less as expected. If you’re a fan of Marley’s music, you might find something to enjoy here. However, overall, it’s blandly constructed with average drama interspersed between decent concert sequences, anchored by Kingsley Ben-Adir’s great lead performance.
‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Rating – 2.5/5
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