Dafter a surprising public reception in England and the United States, today it is also released in cinemas in Italy Bob Marley – One Love. Biopic dedicated to the legendary figure king of reggae. The film focuses on two crucial years – from 1976 to 1978 – in the life of the singer Redemption Song and it’s maybe too “maneuvered” by the Marley family (also producer) to be a realistic portrait. But it’s worth the ticket for theinterpretation of the protagonist, Kingsley Ben-Adir. And it’s an opportunity to listen to timeless classics of the legendary Bob.
Bob Marley – One Lovethe plot of the biopic
In the 1976in the middle of political conflict that is setting Jamaica on fire, Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) announces he will perform a concert to promote peace between warring factions. As they prepare for the concert, Marley, his wife Rita (Lashana Lynch) and some members of her band, the Wailers, they are hit by some attackers.
Rita and Bob are admitted to hospitalbut they recover from their injuries in time for the concert. After the performanceMarley, saddened that his own countrymen attempted to kill him and his wife, shows his bullet wounds to the public before leaving the stage. But, no longer feeling safe in his Jamaica, he convinces Rita to bring their children to the United StatesWhile he and the rest of his band travel to London.
Lacking inspiration, after a few months Marley asks Rita to join him in London and, pretty soon, him and the Wailers they start recording the album Exodustheir most successful album that helps spread reggae music further and the Rastafari movement around the world. The idyll, however, does not last long since, After a toenail infection, Marley is diagnosed with a rare skin cancer.
Distraught, Marley finally decides, in 1978Of return to Jamaica, where he is greeted at the airport by a crowd of worshipers. Back home again, Rita and Bob write the hit together One Love but the singer’s illness progresses also due to Marley’s refusal to seek treatment for religious reasons. The film ends shortly before the singer’s deathwhich occurred in 1981 at just 36 years old.
A faithful biopic but careful not to “dirty” the figure of Bob Marley
Professionally directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green – director of King Richard –, Bob Marley – One Love it is basically a “family” film who chooses to don’t delve into the potential dark and edgy sides of even a contradictory figure like that of Marley. Focusing on a too short slice of the singer’s life, the director alternates the two years spent in London with fleeting flashbacks which mainly concern the first love dates between Bob and Rita. Films with all the clichés possible and imaginable.
And this is exactly where that’s the problem with the film: the presence of the Marley family, producer of the film, it appears too bulky. Not only were the darkest moments of Bob’s life censored. But also fundamental figures like his Wailers they were relegated to a simple backing band. A film that leaves a lasting impression the bitter feeling of a commissioned homework of the heirs. However, it emerges with power Kingsley Ben-Adir’s interpretationfinally in his first important role after a long apprenticeship.
Lashana Lynch and Kingsley Ben-Adir in a scene from “Bob Marley – One Love”. (Eagle Pictures)
The cumbersome role of the family
Among the producers of the film there is also Ziggy Marley, one of the artist’s many children. But all of it the family of the singer, including his widow Rita and daughter Cedella, was directly involved in the decision-making process. He chose director, actors and producers for ensure that the film “faithfully” represents the life of the legendary musician.
As Ziggy stated, satisfied with the reception in the roomsin an Instagram post «Like my father’s music, this film carries a message of peace, love and unitywhich touches audiences all over the world.”
Mother Rita instead she almost “personally” took care of the choice of who should have represented her on the screen. And the choice fell on the good one Lashana Lynchfamous for having been one 007 in the James Bond film saga No Time to Die. The latest starring Daniel Craig.
The excellent protagonist Kingsley Ben-Adir
British, born in 1981Kingsley he was one of the Ken in Barbie by Greta Gerwig. And before that she was in the shoes of Malcolm in the movie That night in Miami directed by Regina King. However, her first important role was nthe cult series Peaky Blinders, where he played Colonel Ben Younger.
In Bob Marley – One Love he plays the lead role for the first time, performing among other things all the songs with his own voice. To the American portal Man About Town spoke about the challenge the film posed. “For me, is about a man’s constant quest to find peace within himself. At the start I didn’t think I could play it. I can’t sing, I can’t dance and I don’t look anything like him. Then by studying his life and reading the screenplay I became convinced.” And for the occasion, Kingsley learned to sing and play the guitar.
The Italian voice actor Alberto Malanchino
The Italian public will hear him speak with the voice of Alberto Malanchino, actor and dubber born in Cernusco sul Naviglio, on the outskirts of Milan, from Italian father and mother from Burkina Faso, and graduated in acting from the Paolo Grassi Theater School. You have participated in dramas such as One step from heaven And Don Matteo and is famous for his role as Gabriel Kidane in Doc – in your hands.
To askanews he recounted the emotion of dubbing the legendary Marley. «My father rocked me with his songs as a child, I feel an ancestral bond with him. But the image we have of Bob Marley in Italy is a little too two-dimensional, stereotyped. THEFor example, few know his message of peace, love and brotherhood between peoples».
The soundtrack of Bob Marley – One Love
Another strong point of the biopic is certainly the soundtrackcomposed exclusively of legendary songs by Bob Marley and published for the occasion by Island Records.
Kingsley Ben-Adir in a scene from “Bob Marley – One Love”. (Eagle Pictures)
Titled Bob Marley & the Wailers — One Love: Original Motion Picture Soundtrackthe disc contains 17 of the most famous recordings of the king of reggae that are present inside the film. As Get Up, Stand Up, I Shot The Sheriff, Jamming And Redemption Song.
The songs are taken from different albums: the first album Catch a Fire, Burnin’, the unforgettable Exodus of 1977 and the last one Uprisingreleased in 1980. Many songs from the soundtrack are also contained in the Multi-platinum hit collection from 1984 Legendknown as the best-selling reggae album of all time.
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