“One Night In Miami” Movie Review by Brooke Daugherty : Pop Culture Leftovers

“One Night In Miami” Movie Review by Brooke Daugherty

February 7, 2021 5:21 am |

February 25, 1964 brought together four African American icons – Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown in a Miami hotel room. Not much is known about the night, with only bits and pieces surviving in the four men’s biographies. Nevertheless, Kemp Powers was inspired to write a one act play speculating the events that winter evening. He adapted his play to be produced by Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, and Jody Klein with Amazon Studios distributing.

One Night In Miami marks the feature film directing debut of powerhouse actor Regina King. It is clear her time in front of the camera has given her the skills to helm a major motion picture. King doesn’t use innovative shots or cutting edge techniques, but a character study such as this would be weakened with an avant-garde approach. Instead, she uses her actors to make the film compelling all the while capturing it on film.

The four lead actors give incredible performances. Kingsley Ben-Adir brings rarely seen vulnerability to Malcolm X. Ben-Adir’s Malcolm may not overshadow Denzel Washington’s portrayal, but it gives Washington a run for his money. His way of speaking is pure Malcolm, never revealing his native British accent. Eli Goree’s Cassius Clay is the most convincing portrayal of Louisville’s hometown hero. Goree has Clay’s bravado and cadence down so well, it feels like watching archival footage. NFL star turned actor Jim Brown was played by Aldis Hodge. He holds his own in character with a room full of charismatic legends. When it came to casting Sam Cooke, the most qualified person was absolutely Leslie Odom Jr.. He was able to harness Cooke’s charisma and mimic his iconic sound.

Most of the plot takes place in and around the Hampton House Hotel, but the events that unfold with these men coming together that one night keep the viewer invested in the film. We do get a bit of an epilogue as well as a prologue to show where these men were in their lives. However, Powers took some liberties when writing the events of this film. A few things were not chronologically correct and a couple more could have been more specific when they happened. That being said, it does not take away from the film at all.

If you have Amazon Prime, check out One Night In Miami. It gives life and dimension to famous African Americans we don’t always get to see, famous characters or not.

PCL Rating: Tupperware

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH