Watch or Nah?: One Night in Miami

Hello World,

So full disclaimer I was supposed to write this review last week, but I wanted to wait until I watched it for a second time before I wrote my review, and then I did watch it again, and still I was just putting off writing my review for no other reason than just pure laziness. But here I am finally writing my review of One Night in Miami!  

Film/ Television Show Information

Name: One Night in Miami
Genre:  Drama
Director : Regina King
Main Cast:  Kingsley Ben-Adir, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr. , Eli Goree

Ratings

	1 = Trash	2 =Meh	3 = OK	4 = Solid	5 = Bomb
Acting/ Performance					X
Comments:   The acting in the film is phenomenal. You can tell each of the actors really studied their characters and really tried to both embody the ideal versions of these men that we as an audience would expect to see while also taking these historical giants and making them human, with all the flaws and emotions that come with humanity. And they all worked well together. There was no acting over someone or stealing the light. Each man had his own shine, and they were all present in each moment, whether the scene was focused on their character or not. I think you can pick anyone of the four main guys and say he was the best in the film, and you wouldn't be wrong. Each actor brought something special and together they were extraordinary.
Writing/Screenplay					X
Comments:  This film is anchored my two things - one is the excellent acting and the second in the superb writing of Kemp Powers. Powers writes an incredibly intelligent and timely script. It captures you from start to finish and it never lets up, which is incredible for a story has almost no action and is mostly dialogue. It expertly weaves between somber moments to heated moments to moments that are just incredibly funny, and as a viewer you're just taken along for the ride.
Cinematography					X
Comments: The film is shot like a stage play. It takes place almost entirely in one place, so there was clear intention in creating distinct shots. King used the dreary sepia-toned hotel room as the background for these four grand statues gravitating around each other. If you look at any of the stills from this film, you can tell that where and how each man is sitting or standing, especially in relation to each other, is intentional and with purpose.
Costume Design					X
Comments: The costumes were both stylish and of the time. Each costume was also tailored (pun intended) to fit each character. While smooth Sam Cooke would be rocking the wine-colored suit with the pink shirt, and burgundy cravat, Malcolm X would wear something more practical and functional like a classic black suit.
Editing/Special Effects					X
Comments: For a movie that takes place mostly in the same drab hotel -room  and is almost all dialogue, King does a great job of editing the film so that it's engaging for the audience by changing the rhythm to keep things interesting, but matching the flow of the actors, so the audience isn't aware of the editing.
Sound/Music					X
Comments:  The soundtrack features mostly music from Sam Cooke, ultimately leading to the final performance of  "A Change is Gonna Come" - similar to how the dialogue in the film has a distinct rhythm, so does the music.
Overall Rating (average the rating numbers above)  - 5.0/5.0

Recommendation: Watch! 😀

One Night in Miami is a fictionalized version of the meeting of Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Cassius Clay, and Sam Cooke on February 25, 1964 in Miami. The men come together to celebrate Clay becoming the heavyweight champion of the world, but end up discussing their roles and responsibilities in the civil rights movement.  This film takes place all in one night and one night only. We see these men only as they were that night - with little before and after. Sure, we have our own ideas of who these mean are based on our own knowledge of history, but from a film and artistic standpoint, we only see what is shown that night, and we use that to establish our idea of these characters and their life beyond this night. There's something incredibly captivating and entertaining about that. This film is a mix of excellent acting, intelligent writing, and timely ideas. Although this film takes place in 1964, the message is very relevant today in its examination of race relations in America. The final scene displays a quote from Malcolm - "It is a time for martyrs now, and if I am to be one, it will be for the cause of brotherhood. That's the only thing that can save this country." If you were unsure of what the message Regina King was trying to say with this film - there it is. Throughout the film Malcolm talks about much they need to do  for the movement, and the ending says there's still so much  to do. 

One Night in Miami is available to watch on Amazon Prime now!

Au Revoir,

~Kerin

P.S. Subscribe to the blog to always know when there's a new post!