Review: One Night in Miami

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One Night in Miami is a fictional account of a night in 1964 where icons Cassius Clay, (Eli Goree) Malcolm X, (Kingsley Ben-Adir) Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) meet in a Miami hotel room. Some expecting a party, some expecting a lengthy discussion. 

Regina King directing this immediately got my attention and she does a wonderful job. A lot of this film stays in one location, but she makes great use of that space. I especially liked how she shot the boxing ring after Cassius won.

The acting in this film is phenomenal. Odom Jr. was one of my favorite performers in Hamilton and he's excellent here too. The song he sings at the end of the film is gorgeous as well. Ben-Adir was a wonderful Malcolm X. Since I just watched Denzel's version so recently I was afraid of comparing them throughout but I never did. I liked his solemn spin on this. Hodge was the actor I was most familiar with as I've seen him give many good performances in the past. (see Clemency) Jimmy is probably the most understated character but his introduction in the film and the blatant racism shown to him is heartbreaking. The look on his face at the end of that scene sticks with me. And finally we have Goree, who gives the most energetic performance. He looks the part and you can't help but be excited for him as he celebrates his win. 

A movie like this lives and dies with its actors and we're lucky to have such a talented cast to go through this with. Admittedly, it may not be the most "exciting" movie out there. Talk heavy movies are an acquired taste, but I enjoyed this and I can't wait to see what everyone involved does next.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B+

Memorable Quote: "This is one strange fucking night." - Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge)

Comments

  1. Often Off TopicJanuary 19, 2021 at 9:32 AM

    I definitely want to watch this for Leslie Odom Jr., he was amazing in Hamilton. I'm worried about it being a dialogue heavy movie because I sometimes struggle with them but I'm looking forward to it regardless!

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 20, 2021 at 6:31 AM

      It's very dialogue heavy but it's still a great watch! Leslie is wonderful.

      Delete
  2. thevoid99January 19, 2021 at 5:56 PM

    I do want to see this as I heard great things about this. Shame that Jim Brown is now a bitch and supports Dookie Tank.

    ReplyDelete
  3. RuthJanuary 19, 2021 at 6:23 PM

    I so want to see this because of Regina King directing, glad she did a great job. We almost watched it over the long weekend but opted to see Sound of Metal instead.

    ReplyDelete
  4. BirgitJanuary 20, 2021 at 8:39 AM

    I want to see this and it’s interesting that this film, Ma Rainey and Hamilton are less film and more play driven. Yeah I know Hamilton was film on stage but it is one I just don’t feel like seeing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 20, 2021 at 7:53 PM

      Hamilton is so good but it's very American. I get why people outside the states don't rush to see it.

      Delete
  5. KatyJanuary 23, 2021 at 3:09 PM

    Nice review! This was one of my favorites of "last year" even though it came out now. I liked how much Regina used up as much space as possible and the actors did a great job. I'm so used to watching Leslie in Hamilton, it was refreshing to see him in such a big film role.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 24, 2021 at 7:45 PM

      I was tempted to group this with last year but I didn't see it before I wrote my post. Leslie is wonderful, I hope big things happen for him. Especially after this year.

      Delete

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