The biopic about the Jamaican reggae singer will be released tomorrow. Here’s what to expect.
Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcame adversity to become the world’s most famous reggae musician. The film follows his journey from the 1970s to his death in 1981 and invites viewers to join him on the road to making revolutionary music.
The film premiered in Kingston, Jamaica, Marley‘s Hometown, in January 2024. It will be available in other theaters from February 14th. Reinaldo Marcus Green, the director, is best known for his work on Monsters and Men (2018) and King Richard (2021), which was nominated for Best Picture at the 94th Academy Awards.
Next to Lashana Lynch (Rita Marley), British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir plays the musician. Bob is a hero and an icon for so many people, and in Jamaica, you can’t even imagine…” he told Time Out. For him, filming this movie in Marley’s hometown was “all love”.
Mixed Reviews
For most of the critics who saw the film when it was released, that’s not enough. Admittedly, they thought Kingsley Ben-Adir‘s performance was excellent. They also praise the use of the soundtrack, although Bob Marley’s music itself was made before the film.
They felt the biopic was too smooth. There’s nothing revolutionary about it, in contrast to the image of the artist who is its protagonist. It’s yet another Hollywood film that turns the life of a celebrity into a spectacle without substance. Despite its good points, it seems that this film was a missed opportunity to do something different.
CREDITS: Malena Cortizo A.