Regina King’s directorial debut is a great period piece set in 1964 on the night of Cassius Clay’s victory against Sonny Liston, and tells the fictionalised meeting of Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali and Sam Cooke. Based on play by Kemp Powers (Soul), it tells much more than the one night, packing so much of these iconic figures’ lives and characters into less than two hours.
Kinsley Ben-Adir (Peaky Blinders, The OA) nails Malcolm X’s voice and mannerisms, and Leslie Odom Jr (Hamilton) gets to flex his fantastic vocal talent singing ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’. Even though the majority of the film is pure dialogue between the four men in one place, it is still dynamic and interesting. The soft lighting and colours of the motel really contrasts with the hard topics being discussed.
The film presents Malcolm X as the constant reminder that when black people act, they are seen to represent their entire race and how sometimes, it seems to come from both the black and white sides. It explores the four different experiences of being black and the subjects that they cover is starkly reflective of the conversations about race that have been brought to the forefront of society recently. King’s direction results in a brilliantly shot and carefully considered film.
‘One Night in Miami’ is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Pep Reviews 