GamesRadar+ VerdictCapturing Marley’s essence on screen proves an impossible task in a biopic that veers towards hagiography
GamesRadar+ Verdict
GamesRadar+ Verdict
Capturing Marley’s essence on screen proves an impossible task in a biopic that veers towards hagiography
Capturing Marley’s essence on screen proves an impossible task in a biopic that veers towards hagiography
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
Britain’s Kingsley Ben-Adir was highly praised for playing Malcolm X in One Night in Miami and made for a decent Barack Obama in Showtime’s The Comey Rule. But mimicry alone, alas, does not ignite the ganja in Bob Marley: One Love, a reverential homage to the Jamaican reggae icon that is sorely lacking the great man’s blazing charisma.
King Richard director Green tries to vary the mood through hectic activity, whisking Bob to London and then across Europe on a whirlwind tour. For all the terrific music we are treated to en route, however, it’s all rather glum and listless, characteristics it shares with a central performance that rarely extends beyond icon cosplay.
Ben-Adir diligently duplicates Marley’s distinctive patois and jerky on-stage movements. But there’s no alchemical amalgam between artiste and thespian like there was inBohemian RhapsodyandRocketman, just the dispiriting spectacle of a hard-working actor doing his best and coming up short.
Fans have been waiting a while for an authorised Marley biopic. Now it’s arrived, every little thing is sadly not alright.
Bob Marley: One Love is in US theaters and UK cinemas from February 14.
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