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Bob Marley: One Love
April 8, 2024
By Bessy ADUT
Now the Oscars 2024 is over with all its glam, I would like to write a movie I really enjoyed, unlike the popular opinion and criticism I heard around. I enjoyed the movie with all my heart, soul, and mind. It really spoke to me. I have been a fan of reggae music.
Seeing a movie about the life story of Bob Marley was interesting to me.
While writing my movie review, I am listening to “Could You Be Loved, Then Be Loved?” It’s such a good song and lyrics...
Bob Marley: One Love received some mixed reviews. Critics liked actor Kingsley Ben Adir’s performance, who had played Obama before.
The biography touched on Bob Marley’s personal life, as well as his professional life. I must agree with this comment where El País called the film "a serviceable biopic that is saved by its soundtrack” while Expresso thought it "showed the man beyond the myth."
I thought his relationship with his wife was given realistically and the dynamic between them was believable. Both of the actors' performances pulled me into the movie.
The film’s world premiere was in Marley’s hometown of Kingston, Jamacia. I also read some reviews that said it should have been made by someone from over there. However, I see him as a global musician with his international music and I don't agree that this is needed, to be able to tell his life story.
The soundtrack really pulled me into the movie, it’s nice to hear one of your favorite musician’s songs on the radio. Filming was done in London and Jamaica.
In terms of plot, the movie takes place in the 1970s until the 1980s. At the beginning of the movie, we see the political conflicts happening and affecting civilians' lives in Jamaica. Bob Marley announces that he will perform a concert as a form of peaceful protest against the conflicting factor. As they are rehearsing for the concert, he, his wife Rita along with some band members get shot. They get hospitalized and survive. Bob Marley was very disappointed that his countrymen tried to assassinate him. He advises his wife and children to stay with his mom.
We see the journey of his album “Exodus” where the Bible inspired him, making Bob Marley ask his wife to join him. This album is one of his hits. Thanks to this album, reggae music and the Rastafari movement get bigger worldwide. After the recording company plans a tour in Europe, Bob Marley expresses he would like to have a concert in Africa too, to inspire the people there.
Like the many musician biopics we have seen before, Bob Marley also has problems with his manager Don Taylor over the finances.
Bob Marley’s skin cancer is realized after his toe infection gets discovered by his wife and record producer Chris Blackwell. Bob Marley goes through his own emotional struggles about his health and decides that he would like to go back to Jamaica where he is greeted with much love by his people. When he arrives back home, the gunman who shot him before comes and apologizes to him in one of the powerful scenes in the movie. Bob Marley has a very mature attitude; he doesn’t keep resenting and he forgives his enemy.
The scenes where he plays guitar around a campfire to children and his wife is very heartwarming too. At the end of the movie, we see Bob Marley performing in Jamaica one more time; He cheers to the crowd "One Love."
It’s also a beautiful message when Bob Marley joins on-stage heads of both Jamaican political parties at the One Love Peace Concert. He realized his goal of performing in Zimbabwe before he died.
My final notes: I believe music and films have the power to bring people together and spread love & peace. Maybe this beautiful message isn’t being understood or appreciated enough. It’s a beautiful, moving story, well-acted by actors with a great soundtrack.
Yes, I must admit, it does look a bit low budgeted in production, but that’s no problem to me.
I recommend seeing this movie with a loved one. A shared experience makes the movie much better. When you listen to “No Woman, No Cry” having somebody beside you helps. I saw this movie on a rainy night. It felt like a ritual to me. It was soul-cleansing.
Bob Marley lived and passed away young just like a butterfly, leaving beautiful songs behind.
I think it’s important to be able to say “I like this movie” even though many people around the world criticize it. It’s ok to have your own views and feelings. I don’t always agree with the crowds. To me, a good movie means a good story, good acting, good cinematography, good editing, and good sound and I found it all in here.
If I see a movie and am ready to see it again and I can recommend it to others, then it indeed is a very good film.
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