Bob Marley: One Love (12A)

Dir: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton

Kingsley Ben-Adir excels as Bob Marley in this safe but serviceable tribute to one of the all time great music icons

2024 has been somewhat underwhelming thus far when it has come to its major cinematic releases. With the exception of a handful of Oscar hopefuls that have had belated releases in the UK, the general quality of thematic output in 2024 has been subpar to say the least. The lack of any real standout films with strong critical backing from critics and audiences has resulting in poor turnouts at cinemas so far, seeing major Hollywood blockbusters such as Madame Web and Argylle tank at the Box Office.

One 2024 release however, that is managing to attract cinemagoers is Bob Marley: One Love, the latest in a long line of commercially successful music biopics we have had in recent years. Whether it be Elvis, Bohemian Rhapsody or in this case ‘Bob Marley: One Love‘, audiences simply cannot get enough of seeing their favourite musical idols on the big screen. Much like the soon to be released Dune: Part Two, ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ seems to have benefitted from its delayed theatrical release as a result of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. Being released in a relatively quiet February against underperforming competition, the biopic has managed to find a solid audience and is currently the second highest grossing release of the year in the UK and USA.

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, fresh off his Best Picture nominated King Richard (2021), ‘One Love’ focuses on Marley from his rise to international recognition in the late 1970’s up until his untimely death in 1981 at the tender age of 36. We are first introduced to Bob (Kingsley Ben-Adir) as he is preparing to perform at Smile Jamaica, a benefit concert in Kingston, aiming to promote peace amongst the warring factions in a Jamaica rocked by civil unrest in 1976. Bob is already well established in his homeland at this stage in his career, and despite his non-political elegancies, Bob, his wife Rita (Lashana Lynch) and several band members are shot by assailants following rehearsal.

Saddened by his own countrymen making an attempt on his life, Bob tells Rita to take their children to the United States for safety, as he and the rest of the band travel to London to work on a new concept album. The result is the now legendary album ‘Exodus’, which despite initial reservations by the label, becomes a hit and helps to further popularise Reggae music and the Rastafari movement, of which both Bob and Rita are devotees. Bob manages to capitalise on his newfound worldwide success to return to the the politically unstable Jamaica to once again perform a benefit gig, this time the titular ‘One Love’ peace concert.

Despite their usual success at the Box Office, the musician biopic subgenre has relatively low standards when it comes to the quality of the actual films themselves. While there have been some exceptions such as Straight Outta Compton (2015) and Ray (2004), to name just a couple, musical biopics have a tendency to be uninspired affairs, devoid of any morale conflictions or question marks surrounding their central superstar, and ‘One Love‘ is no exception. While it may make for a more enjoyable and endearing watch to revisit the truly inspirational and ground-breaking moments in the Reggae star’s career, it offers very little in the way of diving into the man behind the artist. The only insights we get into the Bob and Rita’s personal lives are snippets of childhood trauma, fleetingly depicted in almost cryptic flashbacks. This lack of substance between the pair results in very little emotional investment when the couple ultimately come to blows over their responsibilities and individual affairs.

Despite their severely underwritten characters, both Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch somehow manage to pull a rabbit at the hat and deliver two powerfully engaging performances. Ben-Adir seamlessly captures the almost serene charismatic side to Marley behind the scenes, as well as the outlandish and energetic persona of the showman that took the world by storm. Lynch continues to deliver after a string of stellar performances by this point, as she manages to add a level of complexity to Rita Marley despite very little evidence of it in the script. Green as a filmmaker is more than capable to flesh out his characters with contradictions and complexities, as he proved in the excellent ‘King Richard’. Another biopic by Green but one that benefited from a tighter script and a more scrutinous insight into the titular protagonist, which ultimately resulted in Will Smith walking away with an Oscar, slapping Chris Rock in the process.

Despite being held back from a paper-thin script and a narrative structured more out of convenience than organic progression, ‘Bob Marley: One Love‘ is still worthy of the price for admission for the music alone. Much like last year’s similarly serviceable Whitney Houston biopic, you cannot help but enjoy seeing an icon brought back to life on the big screen, whilst being treated to a soundtrack of their greatest hits.

Bob Marley: One Love is now showing in UK Cinemas