Title: One Night in Miami
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Regina King
Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
What It Is: Kemp Powers adapts his play of the same name for the screen. In this, we’re given a fictitious account of a conversation between Malcolm X (Ben-Adir), Muhammad Ali (Goree), Cleveland Browns Fullback Jim Brown (Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.). Taking place following Ali winning the Heavyweight Championship from Sonny Liston. In this conversation, the icons discuss their roles in the Civil Rights Movement and what “Blackness” in America is and should be.
What We Think: This is Regina King’s debut behind the lens and let me start by saying she might just have equal talent there as she does in front of it. Everyone plays their roles fantastically even if they don’t look like them. Kemp Powers pulls out the pathos of his script and it’s a wonderful adaptation. Kingsley Ben-Adir is fantastic as Malcolm X. His paranoia is palpable. Chemistry certainly isn’t a concern for the cast and King coalesces the entire cast with her keen eye. Their discussion is one that sadly is still poignant some 55 years later. This is an essential happening, the chat here. I think it’s especially eye-opening for those that think that post-Civil Rights Act of 1964 everything is just perfectly fine. This isn’t the case and we see that here in the future with how the world is now.
Our Grade: A-, This is such a great display of acting from all four men at the center here. I was concerned with this film taking place mostly in one room for the majority of its almost two-hour runtime. It didn’t feel nearly that long. I definitely recommend you all check this one out. Amazon Prime continues to be very reliable with its materials. It seems that during award season Amazon takes their big-budget and comes to play.