One Night in Miami…
Composite Score: 84.9
Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr., Lance Reddick, Christian Magby, Joaquina Kalukango, Nicolette Robinson, Michael Imperioli, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., and Beau Bridges
Director: Regina King
Writer: Kemp Powers
Genres: Drama, History
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout
Box Office: N/A
Why should you Watch This Film?
One Night in Miami… is the film adaptation of Kemp Powers’s stage play of the same name about a fictional evening spent between Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown after Clay first won the world heavyweight title. The film stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X, Eli Goree as Clay, Leslie Odom Jr. as Cooke, and Aldis Hodge as Brown. Over the course of the evening (and the film) the quartet explore each other’s careers and influence as black celebrities, the flawed leadership of the Nation of Islam, and the ways that each of them can further the cause of civil rights in his own way. The film was nominated for Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song (“Speak Now” by Leslie Odom Jr. and Sam Ashworth), and Best Supporting Actor (Odom Jr.). Many herald this film as one of the best of 2020, touching on relevant issues through a historic lens that makes the whole thing that much more approachable for a wide audience.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
I want to make something very clear: This is not a film trying to portray historical events exactly as they happened. It is a dramatization and fictionalization of an actual meeting between the four figures that celebrates their careers and influence while exploring broader topics of racism, celebrity, and influence, especially within the black community. People looking to know exactly what was discussed that evening are going to find themselves hard-pressed, seeing as all four icons have now passed on, but that’s not really the point of the film. The biggest knock against it, in actuality, comes from its nature as a play adaptation. Plays are difficult to pull off in the transition to the screen, and this film suffers from one of the more familiar restrictions of such adaptations: It is a film almost entirely centered around conversations, meaning that the audience may or may not be able to take the whole thing in in one sitting. In terms of its setting and framing, King actually succeeds where many directors have failed in making the scenes feel like something from film thanks to creative use of sets, cameras, and mirrors, doing things that you would not normally see in a theatrical production. It’s just the dialogue/story itself that might fall a bit short for some audiences.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Like most great play adaptations, though, One Night in Miami… is a well-acted film from all of its performers. Even the supporting characters played by Lance Reddick (Hakeem X), Joaquina Kalukango (Betty X), Christian Magby (Jamaal), and Beau Bridges (Mr. Carlton) add to the film and accentuate its layers and story well. Each of them brings an extra level of humanity to the film, offering even more reality and moments of commentary to the audience to remind them of the film’s central themes. The core four, though, are where the action truly shines. Eli Goree has the tall task of portraying Cassius Clay on the night before he announced his intention to join the Nation of Islam and become Muhammad Ali, and he handles it excellently, keeping the evening light without ever losing sight of the serious nature of his upcoming decision/announcement. He’s immediately charismatic, and you can’t help but be drawn to the persona that he brings to life on the screen. Aldis Hodge plays NFL star-turned-actor Jim Brown with eerie accuracy, reflecting the star’s vocalizations, mannerisms, and character beautifully in his performance, reminding the audience of the talent and influence that Brown exhibited throughout both of his careers. Leslie Odom Jr. is the man from the crew who swung an acting nomination, and his performance as music star Sam Cooke is undeniably moving. He plays the singer/songwriter/producer just as soulfully and intensely as you might expect from the Tony-winner. His Cooke is conflicted, unsure of whether he’s doing enough by making money for his fellow black performers, debating whether he should do more by making a song about civil rights. Ultimately, it is his decision to write and perform “A Change Is Gonna Come” that serves as the crux of the film’s climax, and he brings so much weight to that moment that his Oscar nomination comes as no surprise. Kingsley Ben-Adir is the true revelation of the film, though, portraying Malcolm X just as well as Denzel did in Spike Lee’s biopic back in 1992 (a snubbed loss for Denzel to Pacino’s career win for Scent of a Woman). He brings the requisite skill with rhetoric but also plenty of emotion and authentic humanity to his portrayal of Malcolm in the midst of his biggest personal crisis – the decision to break from the Nation of Islam – in a performance that feels almost career-defining for the British actor that was snubbed in favor of Gary Oldman’s performance in Mank (I think the other four nominees were fairly deserving). The quartet then plays so well off of each other that, by the time the credits roll, you feel like you really have witnessed history and friendship unfold over the course of that evening.
Regina King’s directorial debut holds up thanks to some creative work from her and excellent performances from her four leads, who come together to tell the story and portray the themes of One Night in Miami… in quality fashion, warranting a place among the Greatest Films of All Time. Its nature as a play adaptation keeps some of the action more contained than some movie audiences might be used to, but those who can muster up the attention will be rewarded with a rich portrayal of the four icons and deep discussion on the issues at hand. It is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video for anyone who hasn’t yet seen it.
