One Night in Miami…

One Night in Miami  (2020)

Simply put, the one night in question explores the friendship of four men in a hotel room after a boxing match. But those friends happen to be American football star Jim Brown, soul crooner Sam Cooke, boxer Cassius Clay and civil rights activist Malcom X.

It’s 1964 and Clay is telling his friends, hours before telling the world, that he is transitioning faith to the State of Islam, renouncing his slave name and becoming Cassius X (later, of course, Muhammad Ali).

Adapted from the play of the same name by Kemp Powers (Pixar’s Soul) and directed by Oscar winning actress Regina King (outstanding in HBO’s Watchmen) this is a fascinating exploration of speaking your truth and frankly, a real education.

Nobody writes a more compelling argument than a playwright and Powers provides each of his characters with a defining voice. The amiable Eli Goree fittingly showboats as the ostentatious boxer but also exudes his youth and vulnerability. As Jim Brown Aldis Hodge provides the level headed stability the group (and audience) needs. When temperatures reach boiling point he brings it down with tender authority. Kingsley Ben-Adir is slightly sinister as Malcolm X balancing between playing a zen leader and antagonising friend all while fighting his curtain-twitching paranoia. Bagging the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor though is Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) playing the charismatic yet frustrated singer, challenged by his friend as to why his songs pander to white audiences instead of challenging the world like Bob Dylan. Who doesn’t love a well articulated argument? This one is delicious.

With the source material all taking place in one room, King succeeds in expanding the writer’s world; the action is constantly on the move from arenas to dance halls to rooftops. And in doing so achieves one of the better play-to-film adaptations.

A little slow in parts but some powerful  scenes raising flawless debates from four engaging performances. The actors have great chemistry and there’s a lot of fun to be had amongst their playful repartee. This is a great insight into a piece of history and sadly still resonates today. As Jim Brown says “This is one strange fucking night”.

8 Enlightening Thumbs Up! 👍🏻