FILM REVIEW: Bob Marley: One Love

FILM REVIEW: Bob Marley: One Love

ONE LOVE!...so fitting..It re-ignited an interest in Bob Marley whose songs I'd loved in college time...I watched the documentary "Marley" on Amazon to refresh my memory of what was going on at the time in Jamaica and the world, to see his humblest beginnings, where the music actually came from.. I thought the actor playing Bob did as well as he could, but it's always tough when you're playing a beloved celebrity or musical icon who was adored by some considered a prophet. Ziggy Marley, Bob's son, also a reggae musician, produced the movie, so it was blessed by the family...There was a brief introduction by Ziggy Marley before the movie started... it was striking and startling that he looks almost exactly like his father...I was thinking it would have been great if he could have played the part of his father!!!  But like any biopic they have to make choices of what parts to portray of the subject's life, but I think they did a good job here ...plenty of reggae music in the movie (they missed some of my favorite songs!) but there's a lot to love here..his personal life with wife , family & bandmates, inner workings of the music biz...corruption, betrayal and greed, (yes, even in Bob's circle!)   Some of the Jamaican dialect was difficult to understand but I love the sound of it anyway. We sure could use Bob Marley's message of love and peace right about now.. All he wanted was for mankind to live together regardless of color or religion and all the other differences that cause human conflict and war....I am going to go see it again soon with another friend... and I will enjoy it again. A very interesting movie that highlights the political unrest in Jamaica during the 1970s and an island on the brink of complete civil unrest. During Bob Marley's time as an up-and-coming legend and superstar I was in the latter years of primary school so do not remember in great detail how powerful  a man he was globally. Nor do I profess to be a knowledgeable person on his life story. The Biopic attempts to chronicle  and portray the best, and most influential, parts of his life and how he was determined to spread the word of love and unity amongst all. After an attempt on his life was thwarted  the burning desire within him to spread the word burned more fiercely and the movie depicts his life mission of how he went about spreading the message across the globe. I think this movie is for those with an interest in the life and times of Robert Nesta Marley and with a personal taste for his inspirational songs and music.

Well worth watching,

This was an amazing biopic of the legend  Yes, like many others I thought I could have selected an actor from our background.  However,  Ben Air did an amazing job. Kudos to him. I am still trying to figure out what other aspects of Bob's life could have been included in the movie. Honestly, there is nothing I can think of that would not have made it boring and lengthy.  The trajectory of his life was carefully articulated  and epitomizes what Bob stood for, which are MUSIC, UNITY AND LOVE. I made a commitment to see it on opening night, and had no regrets. ONE LOVE to everyone who watched it and Kudos to the Marley family.

This was a beautiful movie about the human spirit and what we can accomplish when we commit ourselves to goodness. My biggest takeaway was that there is power in forgiveness, not so much for the forgiver like we might think, but for the one who is being forgiven, as Bob Marley reminded us that only we can redeem ourselves.

Culturally, I can't relate to many of the characters. I'm not Jamaican. I can't speak to the authenticity of the accents or the characterizations. There are plenty of reviews on here addressing that. But if you're a human being, I think you'll be deeply moved by the struggles, triumphs, slip-ups, and redemptions in this movie.

Most reviews have focused on Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley I want to heap some praise on Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley. She's a powerful actress who can tell a full story with her eyes. With subtle changes in expression and body language, you could tell when she was annoyed with Bob, angry at him, scared for him, and disappointed in him. But through it all you can tell she cared deeply for him. I thought the film did a very nice job of making this Bob Marley's story but showing us how Rita was a foundation and maybe even the nucleus for their family. It's disappointing to see such negative reviews on here simply because she's an English actor and to suggest that this was only a money-grab on the part of Rita Marley. It's the sort of divisiveness that I think Bob Marley wouldn't want. That's my opinion, and I can't know what would be in Bob Marley's heart, just like some of these reviews can't possibly know what's in Rita Marley's heart. I can't find anything wrong with the movie. I thought all of the performances were solid. The flashbacks are perfectly followable if you have any sort of attention span. See it for the performances, see it because the message is something many of us could use in our lives right now, and see it to be reminded of what's possible when human beings insist on peace.

FILM REVIEW: Bob Marley: One Love

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SUYASH PACHAURI