‘One Night In Miami’ Review: The Title of Best Directorial Debut Goes to Regina King

From performances to direction, One Night in Miami is one of the best films in years. One Night in Miami should at least win Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards, while Regina King should receive a Best Director nomination

One Night in Miami is a fictitious look at an unforgettable gathering that includes Cassius Clay (not yet Muhammad Ali), Jim Brown, Sam Cook and Malcolm X. The film examines the different perspectives each man has when it comes to the Civil Rights Movement. Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr. and Kingsley Ben-Adir impeccably capture the vocal and physical machination of their real-life counterparts.

Regina King’s directorial debut is nearly flawless. The film’s pacing is outstanding. King gives each of these men room in their individual arenas before bringing them together. By the time the foursome meet up, you understand who each character is at this point in the story, which makes the change in character more profound by the end of the film.

My one issue is the boxing scenes. They didn’t need to show the boxing matches with Sir Henry Cooper and Sonny Liston to get across Clay’s gift of gab and charisma. The boxing matches simply don’t have the big fight feel, which makes the initial introduction of Clay a tad underwhelming.

In contrast, Jim Brown’s introduction is much better and feels crucial to the film’s soul. There’s no scene featuring Jim Brown trucking would-be defenders as a member of the Cleveland Browns. Just a simple conversation on a porch in his hometown of Georgia with a racist white man is more than enough to capture how Brown feels.

In back-to-back months, Kemp Powers has been partially responsible for two of the great films in a two months span. In December, he co-directed Pixar’s Soul and in January 2021 he’s successfully adapted his very own screenplay for One Night in Miami.

With the important details out of the way, here’s a deeper dive into One Night in Miami.

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On the Precipice of Change

The night in question serves as a turning point in the lives of these legends. Three of the characters are weighing their options prior to this night.

Cassius Clay’s conversion to Islam. Jim Brown is considering retiring from the NFL to pursue acting. Malcolm X is leaving the Nation of Islam but hasn’t told anyone. Sam Cooke seems the most content at the start of the night but will make a profound discovery that changes his songwriting approach.

All of the Ingredients, not just a piece of the Pie

The film is fantastic, but there are three sequences that will sit with me for years to come.

The first is a conversation between Cooke and Malcolm X. These two are the most contentious with Malcolm X pushing Cooke to do more throughout One Night in Miami. Cooke tells an interesting story about selling a song he wrote to The Rolling Stones, while Malcolm X uses a Bob Dylan song to drive home his point. These sequences are a fascinating look at music’s ability to puncture the racist bubble many live in.

The other conversation is one between Malcolm X and Jim Brown. There’s a healthy respect between these two men who have seen and weathered a lot over their careers. Brown rarely raises his voice and carefully chooses his words. Malcolm X is the most vulnerable in this scene with Brown, but Brown’s admission as to how white men will always see him is quiet, devastating and powerful.

The Oscar Worthy Performances in One Night in Miami

In other films featuring Malcolm X, he’s normally portrayed with reverence by people around him. However, King, Powers and Ben-Adir make Malcolm X feel vulnerable. Only Clay is reluctant to challenge his mentor. The other titans openly challenge him throughout the film and their points are as valid as Malcolm X’s. Ben-Adir is every bit deserving of a nomination for this slightly different take on the Civil Rights icon.

Eli Goree’s command of Cassius Clay’s speech and facial machinations is even better than Will Smith’s Academy Award-nominated performance in Ali. Goree nails the childlike bravado of the young Cassius Clay. The youthful exuberance of Goree’s performance gives One Night in Miami a comedic presence. There’s a real yearning within Clay to be accepted as a star. He’s still trying to find his identity. Is he a babyface or a heel? Muslim or not? Tough or pretty? The indecisiveness shines, especially opposite three men who have such strong convictions about who they are and what they care about.

While all of the performances are great, it’s the actors under consideration for best-supporting actor that stand out the most. Leslie Odom Jr and Aldis Hodge are unreal in this film. The fact that both are written to interact with Malcolm X the most certainly helps.

Leslie Odom Jr. has the most difficult role and should win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Not only does his openly contentious relationship with Malcolm X serve as the driving force for the film, but Odom has to nail Sam Cooke’s heavenly voice, which he does. Hamilton may have put Odom on the mainstream map, but One Night in Miami should cement Odom’s status as one of the best actors period.

While not as complex as Odom’s performance, Aldis Hodge’s performance as Jim Brown may be my favorite in the film. There’s a quiet, yet confident edge that Hodge gives Brown. He rarely needs to raise his voice to command the attention of those in the room. His opening scene in the film features my favorite nonverbal acting moment. After a nice conversation with a fan on the porch, Brown offers to help him inside the house, the fan refers to him by a racial slur and prevents Brown from entering his home. The mixture of hurt, anger and a little bit of fear that creeps across Hodges face is tremendous.

Final Thoughts on One Night in Miami

Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Drew ‘Buddini’ Brown and Lance Reddick as Kareem X serves as a fun reunion for The Wire cast members.

One Night in Miami is a tremendous film that should lead to plenty of award buzz for Amazon, Powers, King and the entire cast. This is a special film that should every adult and teen should watch. What do you think about the film?

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