Bob Marley, known worldwide for his music and his stand for peace, has faced difficulties not many people know about. “Bob Marley One Love” strives to bring those difficulties and the truth behind the musician’s determination to sing to light. However, as it focuses on Bob Marley’s rise to world fame, it misses out on fully letting the audience get to know Bob Marley’s beginnings and childhood.
Emphasizing Bob Marley’s focus on peace and highlighting religious beliefs, this film loves to center on how Marley says, “Music brings people together”. Throughout his life, he was faced with war and became determined to encourage people to seek unity despite all odds.
Music serves as Marley’s weapon against war and adversaries, connecting people with meaningful lyrics and lovely sounds. Audiences are shown the work and dedication Marley puts into his work as he meticulously practices and focuses on music as a priority throughout the film.
“His guitar is his weapon,” says a helper in Marley’s cause, advocating for him to never back down after facing his threatening assassination attempt and war throughout Jamaica. This quote in the movie further serves the point on how important Marley’s music was in speaking out about war.
While the trailer suggests the assassination attempt against Marley will take up most of the movie, it’s quite the opposite. The assassination attempt only serves as an extra push to continue to grow his music, reaching people all around the world. With this short focus on the attempt, questions arise about how he became controversial enough and popular enough within Jamaica.
As the movie starts, he is already set to give a concert in Jamaica which is brought into question after being faced with an assassination attempt. However, his drive to move people to peace overpowers the will to keep himself safe, as seen in the trailer. When faced with yet another life-threatening difficulty later, Marley continues to push through to see to the end of his vision. This film fully captures Bob Marley’s never-ending determination.
Reinaldo Marcus Green, the director, aims to paint the picture of Marley’s life, but jumps into him already being well known in Jamaica. While the movie focuses on his rise to worldwide fame, audiences are left wondering how Marley got started with only a few minutes of a flashback to barely satisfy them.
Flashbacks of short childhood memories are shown throughout to give audiences a glimpse into what Marley is feeling at emotional points in the film. However, it never goes in depth on certain details of Marley’s life growing up or on certain memories he is haunted by.
Even though many questions arise from the plot of the movie, the acting is terrific. Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Bob Marley beautifully as he embodies Marley’s spirit in performing. Ben-Adir adapts similar mannerisms of Marley like bouncing around on stage and closing his eyes to fully develop the character and show how connected to the music Bob Marley was.
Similarly, Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley is able to emotionally become one with her character, communicating the heartbreak in seeing a loved one troubled and in facing difficulties with the new fame herself. Rita Marley is someone not many people know specifically about, but this film reveals troubles she faced as the new fame caused some distance between the couple. It also shows how a loving, strong, supportive woman can be the motivational push a man needs to continue.
If you like learning about famous people’s lives or like Bob Marley’s music, you should watch Bob Marley: One Love, as it’ll be a movie you’ll enjoy.
Overall, this movie held a much-needed theme of doing what’s right against all odds while showing the world a humble star’s difficulties and rise to world fame. There was just something missing that left a wanting for more about the life of Bob Marley.
Grade: A-
Info
Genre: Biography, drama, music
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Rating: PG-13
Run time: 1h 47m
