Review by JD Piche, Producer, Entertainment News, RCR News Media, Follow on @RedCarpetReport on IG or @RCRNewsMedia on Twitter
The setting. Miami, February 1964. JFK’s recent assassination added tumult to an already rocky political atmosphere as the War for Civil Rights was waged in the streets. On this night, at the Hampton House motel, following Cassius Clay’s defeat of Sonny Liston, becoming the youngest Heavyweight Champion of the World. Three Black Luminaries at the height of their power; Sam Cooke, recording artist and record executive, Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns Star player and NFL Champion, and the 22-year-old Clay gather with outspoken Human Rights Activist, Malcolm X. Far from the fantastical, there is documentation of most of this night, though what actually transpired remains the secret that Jim Brown, the only member of this fraternity could confirm or deny, how the events of the night would change how these men led their lives, however long or short that may be.
“One Night In Miami” was first a 90-minute one-act play, the debut from Kemp Powers, also credited as the screenwriter for the film, won 4 NAACP Theatre Awards, and 3 LA Drama Critic Circle Awards, in its initial run. Reviews at the time were fairly dismissive but acknowledge the play’s potential.
Kemp’s screenplay, as structured alone, rekindles my desire for theater. A well-structured stage play, should be a lay-up for any first time director, the playwright did all the hard work for you, you could just shoot it as written. Not to diminish any of Regina’s achievement with this, symbolically she’s being thrown a slow pitch, even to a company as progressive facing as Amazon Studios, a first time black woman director isn’t going to get that high of a budget, especially with how the lack of Black Theater depicted in studio films. And Regina, so over delivers with this film. The studio would have hoped for a modest success, and we’re presented with an out of the park Grand Slam.
The plot follows Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) whom has shepherded the young boxer Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) into the Nation of Islam, as X was being ex-communicated by the Nation’s Leadership, he was courting Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr) to use their Black Celebrity to join his cause, as he could feel the ever looming presence of a growing resentful US Government nipping at his heels.
The film takes X’s side and even shows a sharp dressed member of the Nation of Islam selling Brother Malcom out to the Feds, watching him like wolves. While Brown and Cooke rebuffed X’s attempt to have them join The Nation. They have their flaws and failings in X’s eyes, but even he doesn’t see how they have found ways to redirect their celebrity to empower others, by supporting their communities. In context, they were the Black Avengers of the 60’s, and seeing how they make their cases for how their differing paths still lead to the same common goal. Kemp’s arguments for each man, paints them as realistic heroes, not just idealists.
The concept of “The Male Gaze” has been more discussed recently and after decades of film being dominated by white men and how trained audiences how to watch a film. Director of Photography Tami Reiker’s lensing, with King’s blocking, does make the film feel different than any other film of the year.
Regina King has had 35 amazing years in front of the camera, she knows a thing or two about her craft and she was able to draw out unimpeachable performances from the cast, the camera is set on the same plane as the actor’s eye lines, not slightly above or below, like how Noah Baumbach would make you feel like a child overhearing a heated argument from parents, or Michael Bay’s low angles make stars seem monolithic, this shows how on equal footing the four men are, and how it is only amongst each other, here, that they have this equality. They’ve gotten rich off of the white world but are still treated as lesser beings because the white world only values them for what they do and not who they are, or what they represent.
One Night in Miami is one of the most important films of the past decade.
– JD Piche, RCR News Media
The run Aldis Hodge has been on since Straight Outta Compton, where he was mostly seen as one of the lesser characters, with Neil Brown’s, as the film put more emphasis on O’Shea Jackson Jr, I’ve been a fan of Hodge since he was on Leverage for 5 seasons but still could only get day player parts on network shows. Aldis is constantly working and really should be recognized for how consistently fantastic his performances are.
Give this picture some tin… and as many golden knights and other hardware you got laying around.
Regina made an amazing film.
10/10
