Review: 'Bob Marley:One Love' is an emotional window into the reggae icon we barely knew;but only to an extent

Bob Marley: One Love

It is fascinating how reggae music isn't as conventionally appealing as pop and rock has been, when it comes to have an international reach but even then, one name, and one face has been every other t-shirt growing up, no matter what country you live in - Bob Marley.

Back then, we didn't even know who Bob Marley was and the impact he had not just in the music industry but in the political scenario of the 70s in Jamaica; but we knew, this man was and is, an icon. Inviting you into an important chapter of Bob Marley's life is the biopic film, Bob Marley: One Love. Having had the chance to see the film beforehand, here's what I thought about it-

Breaking Stereotypes & Staying Authentic

Getting over the 'yo, maan' treatment of Jamaican accent and the inhabitants, Bob Marley: One Love is probably the most authentic portrayal of Jamaica and the Rastafari culture as we have ever seen. Playing the man himself, actor Kingsley Ben-Adir never lets you feel for even a minute that you're looking at the actor and not the character. Adapting the mannerisms, emotion and soul of the late legend, Ben-Adir lives Bob Marley but never apes it. That is also what makes this otherwise reverential and misguided biopic a worthy watch. 

Bob Marley: The Formative Years?

The choice to only explore a select few years of his life till his death is a tricky call and hence, director Reinaldo Marcus Green loses the direction of choice when it comes to introducing the people to the man and his humble beginnings. Apart from tick-boxed flashback sequences, you are never connected to Marley and his unwavering passion of making a change for the people at the cost of his own life as much as they would have liked us to be. With Marley's life, while things have been public knowledge, there has always been a wondering about the actuality of it. 

To make a biopic palatable, you need your viewers hooked on the character and a bearing heart. That doesn't quite happen. To his credit though, Green portrays and knits his second half really well where we see the more troublesome years of Marley, professionally and personally. The verbal fight scene between Marley and wife, Rita Marley (Lashana Lynch) is undoubtedly the show-stealer, and makes a bigger impact than anything else. Then we have the fantastic Lynch, who is stellar as Rita, and once again, credit to the screenplay that it never showcases as Marley's wife 'who was there' but as Rita Marley, who had her own identity and suffering.

The Marley Family

Owing to the biopic being almost too reverential, Bob Marley: One Love doesn't exactly hit the spot but definitely does enough to have you invested in the overall impact of the reggae icon. The archive footage towards the end showing him, the fact that his real life family members ranging from Rita Marley, sons and daughters, Ziggy Marley and Cedelle Marley are involved with the making of the film - adds another authentic touch which is the actual USP of the film. 

The language, even with subtitles does get a little tough to keep up with at times but never acts as a huge hindrance. The impeccable background score, original Bob Marley songs that play from time to time, subtle showcase of concert sequences further enhance the viewing experience to a large extent.

The Verdict

In the end, Bob Marley: One Love isn't a knockout biopic that breaks notions or does something extraordinary but maybe, it wasn't meant to be. It celebrates Bob Marley in the most pure albeit safely reverential manner it can. The film is a window into the man's life but doesn't rise above the basics, playing it safe and sanitised.

Rating - *** (3/5)