“One Night in Miami” (Drama: 1 hour, 54 minutes)

Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Aldis Hodge, Eli Goree and Leslie Odom Jr.

Director: Regina King

Rated: R (Profanity, including sexual references)

Movie Review: “One Night in Miami,” a skillfully directed screenplay by Regina King, is pivotal moviemaking about race relations in the United States. 

Inspired by true events, the fictional screenplay shows four African-American icons during the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. They are successful, handsome, talented and wealthy men. However, just like any other black males of the time, they are also maneuvering through life in a Jim Crow America. 

At the Hampton House Motel in Florida, four of the most well-known African-American men in the United States meet. 

Cassius Clay (Goree) is on the verge of becoming Muhammad Ali and a Muslim while knocking people out in the boxing ring. Minister Malcolm X (Ben-Adir) is preaching in his exacting manner about the atrocities against black people while facing adversaries from the U.S. government and the Nation of Islam. Football’s Jim Brown (Hodge) finds being an athlete and a movie actor clash. Sam Cooke (Odom) is singing his music but finds little reception from white audiences. 

They meet in a hotel on Feb. 25, 1964. They discuss their responsibility to the Civil Rights Movement as successful black men and influencers. Expressed viewpoints include equality, religion, sports, fame, capitalism and empowerment for black people.

The core of this movie is a critical story about race relations in 1964 told through prominent figures of the era. Many of the issues addressed are still prevalent in this country today.

These elements are more appealing because of the men portrayed. The movie does not show them as saints but four friends attempting to enjoy their night together while talking about their roles in society. Each man is a superstar and they congratulate and cheer for each other’s success.

They argue but the arguments have merit as a means for them to understand each other more. More important, their disagreements, like their mutual respect, are means for audiences to understand these men. 

Screenplay writer Kemp Powers, whose stageplay titled the same is a basis for the movie, does an impeccable job rendering profoundly intriguing insight into his characters. 

Also, the cast is superb. Goree captures Ali’s boasting and the Champ’s humorous side, too. Hodge is always sound as Jim Brown. Odom is impressive as crooner Cooke. However, Ben-Adir steals the movie as Malcolm X and he is exceptional, delivering the movie’s most intense dramatic portrayal.

Audiences know Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” 2018) for her impeccable acting, but one would be hard-pressed to tell this is her directorial debut for a narrative feature. She has directed plenty television teleplays. 

Now, she makes her mark as a director in a grand style. Her application of flashback scenes is good cinematic use. With exacting precision, she ably manages to fuse scenes about her characters past and present while getting one to envision their futures that we know will happen.

Even more, King keeps her notably well-known characters genuine. When the movie is over, one feels you were there with Ali, Malcolm X, Cooke and Brown. That is a movie’s best appeal; its ability to heist audiences away to another time and place. 

Hats off to King, writer Kemp, the cast and a talented crew for last year’s best movie.

Grade: A (One night in your town, see it soon.)

Adann-Kennn Alexxandar has reviewed movies for than 20 years for The Valdosta Daily Times.