On Valentine’s Day, the long-awaited biopic, Bob Marley: One Love, was released in theaters by Paramount. The Feb.14 debut has gotten many mixed reviews, especially from Jamaican Bob Marley fans.
The 104-minute-long biographical drama travels over the life and career of the late reggae artist, who died in 1981 from melanoma. It showcases the political and social unrest in Jamaica at the time, how Marley’s career blossomed, and his Rastafarian religion and lifestyle. It also touches on Marley’s relationship with his wife Rita, and their family.
The Marley family had heavy input in the movie’s production, with Rita and her children Ziggy and Cedella Marley as producers. Marley is played by British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, who recently starred as one of the Kens in the blockbuster Barbie movie. Lashana Lynch, who plays Rita, is also British and Jamaican herself.
The background of the main actors is a large source of disappointment for many viewers, who expected to see more Jamaican-born actors on the big screen. When asked why Bob Marley wasn’t played by a Jamaican actor in an interview with CBS, Ziggy Marley said they couldn’t find one. Unlike other auditions, Kingsley “held his attention.”
Many Jamaicans who saw the movie took to TikTok to voice their reviews and often expressed that they were discontent with the casting. They believed the movie was a lost opportunity to display Jamaican talent, and were offended by Ben-Adir’s patois and fake locs.
In addition, viewers thought the movie was simply too short and did not fully delve into the life of the beloved Reggae pioneer. They cited plot holes and time jumps that made the movie feel rushed.
Julian Green, a movie critic and content creator known as Straw Hat Goofy on TikTok and Instagram, said the “pacing was all over the place,” and that “it doesn’t touch you as much as you would like to know about the man.”
Despite these opinions, Green does praise Ben-Adir and Lynch for their performances.
Jada Ingleton, a senior journalism major from Pembroke Pines, Florida, went to see the movie with her Jamaican-born father. Ingleton had pretty large expectations for the film but says it fell short.
She also believed the movie left out part of Marley’s history and downplayed it. While watching it, her father told her the movie left out some things that he knew from his own time spent in Kingston.
Ingleton commented, “I don’t know the specifics as to why or what the family wanted the takeaway from the movie to be, but I think the overall message was more so politically and strategically focused than in a way, factually.”
Contrary to public judgment, Bob Marley: One Love has already surpassed $120 million in global earnings, making it one of the most successful music biopics.
All things considered, another Bob Marley biopic will likely be underway, this time under the direction of Jamaican filmmakers and actors.