The lingering question, “What’s the point?” echoed persistently within me as I endured the uninspired journey of “Bob Marley: One Love,” a biographical film that falls flat, lacking perspective and originality. It joins the ranks of numerous musical biopics that seem more focused on selling reissues of past hits than on telling a compelling story. Despite the flaws of previous films like “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” at least they attempted to engage with their iconic subjects. However, “One Love” treats Marley himself as a mere disruption to its narrative flow, rather than the heart of the story.
Reinaldo Marcus Green, the director, shoulders much of the blame. While his debut film, “Monsters and Men,” hinted at promise, subsequent works like the sentimental “Joe Bell” and the caricature-ridden “King Richard” failed to deliver depth. In “One Love,” Green once again relies on broad themes and shallow characterizations, repeating the same missteps of his earlier projects.
However, the film’s shortcomings extend beyond Green’s direction. The script, co-written by Green along with Terence Winter, Frank E Flowers, and Zach Baylin, is a disjointed series of events lacking subtlety or nuance.
Set between 1976 and 1978, the film follows Marley as he plans a unity concert in Jamaica to address political violence. We are introduced to Marley’s extensive family, including his wife Rita (portrayed by Lashana Lynch), his manager Don Taylor, and members of his band, the Wailers. The film hints at the constant danger surrounding Marley’s life, situated in a compound guarded by armed men, but fails to delve deeper into his artistry or the political landscape of the time.
Initially, the film seems to center on the Smile Jamaica concert, but it rushes through this pivotal event, seemingly afraid to stray too far from musical performances. There is a glaring lack of depth in portraying Marley’s relationships, particularly with Rita, reducing her character to exposition or sage advice.
Despite its aspirations to authenticity, “One Love” falls short of capturing the complexity of Marley’s life and music. It lacks the vitality and rhythm that characterized his soulful music, ultimately delivering a disappointingly flat depiction of a legendary figure.