Bob Marley: One Love
I feel like there are some musical biopics that should dispense of narrative, recreate moments from their subjects life, but give us music and sound effects only on the soundtrack to emotionally guide us through the film. That was my biggest feeling during Reinaldo Marcus Green’s biopic about the legendary Reggae artist. I absolutely felt the vibe of the film when one of Marley’s songs was playing, but as we see a narrative arc try to unfold to give us a sense of the man, I was left wanting more. This isn’t an approach I think all biopics would benefit from, but as with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” when the music on the soundtrack is the highlight of the film, something is wrong with the film itself.
There have been a few documentaries about Marley that give us insight about both the man, his place in musical and Jamaican history, and how his music still stands as a voice for justice, peace, rebellion and love overcoming natural human animosity. The issues with “One Love” have nothing to do with the performances, especially by Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch as Marley and his wife, Rita, who was one of the backing singers for his band, The Wailers. The performances are fine, and there are moments when Marcus Green’s direction- and the cinematography by Robert Elswit- really pop. But for the most part, even scenes like the attempted assassination of Marley, his stage fright and a concert shortly thereafter, and his triumphant return to Jamaica after years away feel hollow. There are moments where I feel we do get to know Marley, and it’s when he’s working out his musical vision in a studio in London, and when he and Rita share moments after she comes to see him in London. There’s a moment where he is talking about forging a new musical direction, and it’s like he goes in a trance, and we feel like we get to know the heart of the man. It was my favorite moment of the film.
Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of it when I saw the film, I want to revisit Todd Haynes’s “I’m Not There,” his unconventional biopic of Bob Dylan, because at least it felt like a bold attempt to do something different with the form that speaks to who the subject is. I’m not saying it would work for Bob Marley, but “One Love” often falls flat in ways similar to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which is by-the-numbers, and feels like it’s following a well-worn series of cliches. I will say, though, that “One Love’s” focus on what led to Marley’s iconic “One Love” concert- where he sought to bridge the political divide in his country- is better than “Rhapsody’s” greatest hits narrative, on top of its superior performances, and best moments. Sadly, though, I’m left more thinking about the music on the soundtrack, some of which feels like its commenting on what’s onscreen, and some of which feels like it’s chosen because, hey, audiences will recognize that. Ultimately, “One Love” is one of those films where I find myself thinking, give me the soundtrack, and leave the movie.
