This overdue biopic on the reggae superstar has been panned by critics and a success at the box office. I have to agree with both.
Let’s start with the latter. Having the chance to learn more about Marley’s life and listen to his music is a pleasure. The message he sings about of “one love” from Jah and his faith in Rastafarianism is almost premonitory and exactly what we need today. Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch lead the film with excellent performances and are present in two of the scenes which bring most life to the film 2/3 of the way through.
Lynch impresses as Rita Marley in a role which is not very well developed and Ben-Adir’s interpretation of Marley himself, despite clear physical differences, is always convincing and manages to convey his magnetism.
What the critics have highlighted is that the film itself is pretty pedestrian. It focuses on a two-year period in his life around the release of Exodus, he and the Wailer’s massive album, the shooting he suffered in Jamaica, the exile in London and the triumphant return home.
It is dealt with fairly straight and predictably with rather obvious flashbacks that don’t add too much. Late teenage Rita is convincing but not so Bob and how he gets from shy teenager to international star is not clearly enough shown in the person.
Some CGI scenes come across as artificial, there are some Hallmark-like moments and some symbolic scenes of lions, fire and young boys. This is to collaborate with the mentions of Jah and Haile Selassie, the religious king that Marley was a follower of. I also disliked the music of Kris Bowers and the screenplay would not win any prizes for originality or literary art.
While there is some grit in the Trenchtown violent scenes early on, the rest of the grit of Marley’s life (many different women and children, his temper and his illness) is given only a superficial mention. This leaves the field open for a better work to come which gives us a more complete picture of this visionary. For now, we will have to make do with this film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.
2 stars plus
passionfilm 