Bob Marley: One Love Movie Review

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

Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Nuance is not in abundance in director Reinaldo Marcus Green's Bob Marley movie, a film that's more about a vibe and feeling than depth and motivation.

Blessed with a blistering soundtrack and musical moments that spring to life, as well as a central performance that shows flashes of excellence, this take on Marley's desire to reunite the Jamaica of the 1970s while dealing with the after effects of an attempted assassination finds a groove, but never really quite capitalises on it.

With odd flashbacks providing some fleshing out of both Bob and wife Rita's characters, the screenplay settles on rote and formulaic when it has chances to soar. At times, it feels like a hangout movie that's occasionally injected with some urgency; a visit to London shows the punk energy of the Clash as well as riots in 1970s London. 

But those moments are few and far in between with some late act tensions being injected into proceedings to instil some drama. Yet they don't quite land with any of the heft that's needed.

That said, Lynch and Ben-Adir make for eminently watchable leads; Ben-Adir brings the charisma of Marley to the screen and Lynch turns what could easily have been a one-note thorn in his side wife into something more, elevating her brief moments on screen.

Ultimately, Bob Marley: One Love may try to capitalise on Marley's legacy, but it lacks an urgency to turn it into something timely, and almost nervous to do something more with the conflicts that were drizzled through his life and the time period the movie chooses to zero in on.

It is too by-the-numbers and does lack the get up, stand up that would have helped it soar, but for many Bob Marley: One Love may be the chilled out biography they're wanting.