Bob Marley: One Love review – the reggae superstar deserves a better film than this

In the lead role, British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir captures the physicality of Bob Marley – the leonine grace and charisma; the weird spasmodic dance (the singing voice, however, is mainly Marley’s own) – but he’s let down by a screenplay that fails to give much insight into who Marley was as a person. He’s a thumbnail sketch character, with barely more substance than the billowing clouds of ganja smoke that constantly fill the frame. As Marley’s wife, Rita, Lashana Lynch is saddled with a similarly underwritten role, but somehow she manages to flesh out Rita with a satisfyingly complex performance. What becomes painfully clear is the fact that Bob Marley deserves a better biopic. Still, Lynch’s magnetic presence, and a heartstopping rendition of Redemption Song, almost justify the price of admission.