Bob Marley: One Love

By: Jamie Steinberg

“Let’s get together and feel alright.” So says the chorus to Bob Marley’s hit song “One Love,” which is also the subtitle to his new biopic film. We follow Marley’s life from 1976 to 1978 when he was already a known political voice throughout Jamaica. Here he is busy planning a concert to stop the violence that is being inflicted by two warring political leaders, but then switches to getting to know his big family. For those a fan of the man behind the magical music, it might be better to read a book about Bob Marley rather than watch Bob Marley: One Love in order to gain greater insights into the man who changed the world of music and the dangers he faced using his voice to stand up for his rights.

Director Reinaldo Marcus Green may have joined the film late, but he had cowriters Terence Winter, Frank E Flowers and Zach Baylin to keep him on course. However, the script is a little sparse as there is not much of a view of Marley’s musical artistry, the political parties at war or a look at his life pre-assassination attempt that sends Marley (Kinglsey Ben-Adir) and The Wailers off to London for safety. Meanwhile, his wife Rita (Lashana Lynch) and the kids go to Delaware to reside with Marley’s mother. All in all, things just remain a bit too vague and a lot of important areas of his life are unexplored – his politics, his Rastafarian religion, the reggae scene, etc.

The acting by stars Bel-Adir is impressive and the chemistry between him and Lynch is there. Sadly, there just isn’t much context as to what initially drew this on-screen couple together and why Rita stuck around when he was having affair after affair. A nice touch though was a video message from Bob Marley’s son Ziggy that airs at the beginning of the film.

Anyone who is a fan of Bob Marley and the magical music he made is going to certainly want to snag a ticket to see Bob Marley: One Love. Unfortunately, there is going to be a little bit of a letdown if you’re looking for insights into the creativity and inspiration behind his special songs. What should linger watching this film is a look at the legend, the life that shaped him and the ones he loved and that loved him. However, with this movie all that continues to remain an onscreen mystery.