The newest musician biopic hits theaters on February 14 as Bob Marley: One Love opens everywhere. It’s a movie that delves into one specific timeframe of the Reggae icon’s life, namely the events surrounding the creation of his triumphant 1977 album, Exodus.
Kingsley Ben-Adir (Secret Wars, Barbie) takes on the titular Marley, and the actor is fantastic in the role. He dove in head-first, learning both Jamaican Patois and how to play guitar in an attempt to more perfectly embrace Marley’s persona. It’s a difficult task to accurately emulate Marley’s persona, but Ben-Adir performs admirably.
Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel) stars across from Ben-Adir as Marley’s wife, Rita. Lynch is captivating in the role and one of the standouts from One Love.
One Love is a family affair through-and-through. Two of the Marley children — Ziggy and Cedella Marley — are producers on the project, while two of the Wailers — Junior Marvin and Family Man — are played respectively by their sons. The family involvement was not only desired, but necessary for director Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard).
“It was paramount for me to have the family’s involvement,” Green told For The Win in a recent interview. “If they weren’t involved. I couldn’t do it. Ziggy [Marley] was on the very first call as a producer hiring me to direct this movie.”
There are some moments that maybe feel a little clunky, but it’s an interesting story of Marley, his relationships, his Rastafarian beliefs, his activism and, most importantly, his music. One Love struggles at times to fully capture the Marley vibes, but it’s a reminder that, despite only living 36 years, Bob Marley managed to make such an incredible impact on the world.
Movie: Bob Marley: One Love
Release Date: February 14
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Stars: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars