New to digital download in the UK this week, following its theatrical release back in February, is the biographical drama, One Love. The movie – directed and co-written by Reinaldo Marcus Green – stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton, and Tosin Cole, and sets its story around reggae singer and songwriter, Bob Marley.
In the film, the year is 1976 and Jamaica is on the brink of civil war. Hoping to calm the situation down, musician Bob Marley plans a peace concert to unite the people.
While preparing for the concert, Bob, his wife Rita, and several members of his band are shot. Bob and Rita survive, with Bob able to recover and perform the gig, but haunted by the shooting he urges Rita to take the children to the US while he moves to the UK.
Bob then begins to develop his music, with Rita travelling to the UK to be by his side. The film continues to follow his story, detailing his journey to create more tunes, and runs up until his untimely death in 1981.
OK, let me start off by saying One Love is a perfectly fine bio-pic about Bob Marley. A magnificent bio-pic? No, but a perfectly fine one nonetheless.
If you want a Bob Marley story, which is decent enough to watch, then One Love is alright. The film looks good, is filled with Marley tunes, and actor Kingsley Ben-Adir does an admirable job in the lead role of Bob.
There’s nothing particularly bad about One Love, and it ticks many of the right boxes to entertain. So, yeah, it’s fine.
What stops One Love from moving beyond the realm of being ‘fine’ is the film isn’t particularly dynamic. On a technical level it does what it needs to, but there is no creative flare or imagination.
When watching a bio-pic about a musician or icon, you want something which elevates the subject matter and this is where One Love struggles. While Bob comes across as a fairly likeable guy, at no point does the film make his story exciting, and this is a sticking point.
You could argue the somewhat laidback nature of the movie is reflective of Bob Marley’s character, but I’m not sure this a conscious decision on the filmmaker’s part. It feels more like happenstance than anything else.
Where One Love is at its strongest is when it is concentrating on the relationship between Bob and Rita. This is where the best material can be found, and when the film becomes the most engaging.
There is one scene in particular, when Bob and Rita are having a heated discussion, which really grabs the attention. A great deal of this is down to Lashana Lynch, who sells the heck out of the scene, as Rita informs Bob she has done her best to ensure his happiness.
The film also has a couple of emotive moments connected to Bob’s cancer diagnosis and his death. This whole part of his story is handled well, and with care, and is when One Love is hitting the high level it needs to.
Overall, and to reiterate what I stated above, One Love is decent enough and perfectly watchable. At no point does the film knock Bob Marley’s story out of the park, but it’s OK.
For the most part it tells the audience of Bob’s greatness, rather than actually showing it, but if you are looking for a decent(ish) movie, then you have it here. Take it for what it is.
__
__
Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment