One Night in
Miami
Four stars
Director:
Regina King
Stars:
Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom Jr., Aldis Hodge, Eli Goree
February 25,
1964 was a big day for 22 year-old Cassius Clay. He met Sonny Liston in Miami
for the first time and beat him to become Heavyweight champ. And according to
this film from Kemp Power and Regina King, his night was far from over.
This film
tells the story of a celebratory meeting before and after the fight, of Clay
(Eli Goree), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), football great Jim Brown (Aldis
Hodge) and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir). It speculates on just what was said
and done during the historic meeting at the Hampton House Hotel. And in light
of racial unrest during the summer of 2020, this film is particularly poignant
and relevant.
After the
fight, Clay, Cooke and Brown were under the impression that there was going to
be a celebration. But Malcolm X had other plans, some that were far more
sobering than taking an uppercut in the boxing ring.
Though it
isn’t mentioned explicitly, in 1964 the US was in the midst of the Civil Rights
movement and we would see the passing of the Civil Rights Act that year under
the LBJ administration. Malcolm X wants to see his three friends to use their
influence and star power to fight against discrimination, segregation and
racism.
The drama
and the tension arise from the differing perspectives as to how to achieve
those means. Singer Sam Cooke was a well-known activist, but had a rather
pragmatic approach to dealing with racism. Malcolm X, who was guiding Clay
toward converting to Islam, was much more of an idealist. And the two clash
several times.
Each of the
four actors puts in a riveting performance. You can close your eyes and listen
to Eli Goree and swear it was Ali himself speaking. But the real standout is
Leslie Odom Jr. (yes, he of Aaron Burr fame in “Hamilton”). He is absolutely
magnetic onscreen with his firebrand of a personality as he butts heads with Malcolm
X. But he follows that strong presence with his rendition of Cooke’s “A Chang
is Gonna Come” and absolutely slays the song. This is the kind of performance
that I hope opens a lot more doors for Odom Jr.
What I
noticed first about how excellent this film is the balance. Each of the four
main characters is given their time to shine. While Malcolm X and Sam Cooke’s
difference of opinion is central to the film’s structure, and they present
convincing arguments that their method of activism is most effective, Clay and
Brown not only act as peacemakers, they share their own bits of wisdom and
convince the two who clash to not lose sight of their goal by attacking each
other. Despite the differences, it is clear the affection the four have for
each other.
This isn’t
all drama, though. There are some real laugh-out-loud moments. In one instance,
as Cooke and Brown learn of Clay’s pending conversion to Islam, Cooke mildly
takes issue with the matter while Brown voices his support. Cooke asks Brown if
he’s going to convert too, and Brown replies with a deadpan affect, “Have you
tasted my grandmother’s pork chops?”
This is an
extraordinary feature film directorial debut by Regina King. She deserves every
bit of praise she receives and is the favorite to win Best Director at the
Golden Globes. This is a reminder of just how far we have come in combatting
racism but also an illustration of how far we have yet to go.
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