Biopics about artists rarely impress. Most often, these films act as “best-of” compilations of musicians’ careers, where the feeling is that the scriptwriters have gone through appropriate Wikipedia pages to efficiently, but often without feeling, assemble longer periods of time into two-hour feature films. Instead of following the trend goes Bob Marley: One Love its own path, and structures a focused narrative. Here it is noticeable that the filmmakers want to say something valuable, rather than just dump information.
The effort is appreciated, but unfortunately the final result does not live up to the ambition – because despite clear direction, the focus Bob Marley: One Love simply on the wrong things. Where the story picks up, Marley is already an influential figure in Jamaica, meaning his rise to fame is overshadowed. Instead, we follow Marley during the part of his life when he became most famous, when he recorded the incredible album “Exodus”. The vibes are right when ‘Bob Marley & The Wailers’ jam in the studio to their unbeatable hits, but a more thorough review of the earlier stages of the reggae legend’s career would have been preferable – Bob Marley: One Love almost feels like a sequel to a movie we never got.
Maybe it’s my personal taste, but the time period in focus is without the urgency I think Marley’s earlier life could have delivered on film. Regardless, this is a serviceable biopic, lifted by solid performances from Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob himself, and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita. In its subgenre, it is definitely a better than average film.
