One Night in Miami... (2020) User Reviews

Hard to turn this sort of play into a movie

[richard-1787 · 7/10 · 20 January 2021]

If you've ever read Jean-Paul Sartre's Huit clos/No Exit, this movie will look very familiar. It's the story of four men - four very famous men - who spend an evening in a motel room after one of them, Cassius Clay (soon to become Mohammed Ali), defeats Sonny Listen for the World Heavyweight Championship. As in Sartre's play, they rehash each other's past lives, rip each other and themselves apart, etc. The "only" difference is that, in order to turn the original play on which this is based into a movie, about half an hour of extraneous material is added at the beginning before the four get to the motel room.

The acting here is all first rate. I can't tell you how close the actors come to impersonating the originals, but that's irrelevant, because this is still basically a play "based on historical characters" and not a pseudo-documentary. (The meeting of the four never actually took place.) It is a discussion of each Black man's obligation to participate in some way in the Civil Rights movement delivered in dialogue form, as Plato did with his Dialogues over 2,000 years ago.

There are times when the discussions don't sound "natural" - whatever that means. (Almost none of No Exit sounds natural, except perhaps for a convention of philosophers.) How much that bothers you will vary with your tolerance for philosophy staged in theatrical form. My recommendation would be to skip the first 20 minutes or so of the movie and just get down to the motel scene.

If you have read a biography of Malcolm X, or seen Spike Lee's movie about him, certain parts of this movie dealing with him will be clearer, in particular his relationship with the Nation of Islam. The rest is pretty self-explanatory.

One Night in Miami

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 7 February 2021]

Oscar winning actress Regina King makes her directorial debut in One Night in Miami.

Adapted from a stage play. It imagines a meeting in a hotel after Cassius Clay's (Eli Goree) defeat of Sonny Liston in 1964 when he was crowned world heavyweight champion.

Clay and his friends Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr) and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) get together to celebrate, joke, argue and debate about being black in 1960s America.

The pre credit sequence concentrates on each of these men. It shows the causal and non casual racism some of them encounter.

The crux of the movie is Clay deciding to become a Muslim and join the Nation of Islam which also entails changing his name.

Meanwhile Malcolm X is considering his future with the Nation of Islam which is causing tensions within the group.

Jim Brown wants to leave football and become an actor. It is better for his knees.

Cooke has realised that there is money to be made if white groups such as The Rolling Stones have big hits with the songs he has written.

Malcolm X though is angry with Cooke for not taking a strong political stance. He reminds Cooke that black people are being killed everyday. Others tell Malcolm that he is being too hard on Cooke.

Deep down this is a political movie, chiming with the Black Lives Matter debate.

The stagebound nature of this movie is hard to ignore. It also takes a while to get going but becomes compelling when Malcolm X and Sam Cooke clash.

The ensemble cast do bounce off well from each other. The best performance for me was by Leslie Odom Jr, especially his singing voice.

It has to be noted that within a year after this fictionalised meeting that both Malcolm X and Sam Cooke would be dead.

Strong debut film!

[evanhorn-97618 · 8/10 · 14 September 2020]

A stylish and promising debut from Regina King. While not as constantly engaging as I was hoping, it still features brilliant performances all around and some of the strongest directing I've seen all year; I would love to see the Oscar winning actress become an Oscar nominated director!

One night, February 25, 1964 in a Miami hotel room.

[TxMike · 16 January 2021]

This just became available on Amazon streaming movies. The "one night" reference is Feb 25th, 1964 in Miami, the night Cassius Clay (22), (later known as Muhammad Ali), surprised boxing fans by defeating Sonny Liston who threw in the towel after 6 rounds.

The four prominent friends were Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke. You see, I was in college at that time, all of them are were known to me, so seeing this stage play turned into a movie has a very relevant meaning.

Although it is based on a true story of real people, unfortunately there are no tape recordings of their conversations that night, and some facts were changed for dramatic effect, so it isn't possible to determine how "accurate" it is. Nonetheless it is a good depiction of the times and what these black men were facing, and some of the 1960s drive to overcome the rampant discrimination that existed. Of course the issue still isn't behind us, there is still a ways to go.

This is a good movie, especially for those of us who remember those days. I find myself wondering how it comes across to the younger (under 60) age groups.

Solid discussion of the responsibility of influence

[princesstossa · 7/10 · 24 January 2021]

Set against the 1960s and Ali's victory, four influential Black men meet in a motel room and talk about the role of civil rights, their responsibility of influence, how to fight, how to win, what does power mean. How all four men wielded their power different and the 'right way'

The conversation between Sam and 'Clay' in the car got me. The conversation of power to exist without constraint. Got me. 65 years and what these men dream haven't been fully realized.

'We aren't weapons' And the gut punch on the porch took my breath And Odon's voice

7.5 It was limited as a film as it was play first and seemed like Ma Rainey to have existed best like that. Still excellent but doesn't transfer seemlessly.

Mightily impressive feature debut from Regina King.

[joshbarton15 · 9/10 · 12 October 2020]

Based on a play that tells the fictional account of a real night, 25 February 1964, One Night in Miami is an incredibly relevant film for 2020, Regina King's feature film debut premiering at the BFI London Film Festival during Black History Month and a year when the Black Lives Matter movement has become much more prominent with the injustices in America being seen and protested all round the world.

After Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) wins the World Heavyweight Championship from Sonny Liston in Miami, he meets with Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) to discuss their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.

One Night in Miami is a fascinating watch, Kemp Powers adapting his own play to the screen with a screenplay that pits iconic figures and their ideaoligies against one another in a film mostly set in one location. Introducing each of the characters in their everyday vocations and the struggles they faced in being black men sets the film up for a rather powerful main act where they discuss how they can use their positions of varied success to be heard during the civil rights movement.

The contrasting feelings of how they should use their positions of power, whether it be through music, sports or activism, makes for a really intriguing and captivating set up and Regina King directs it with aplomb, giving the actors the chance to shine on such a narratively tight project, Tami Reiker's cinematography impressing too in the confined spaces of the motel room in particular.

One Night in Miami also excels in the performance department, the four mightily impressive leads each delivering a performance of power and stature that goes with the iconic figures they are portraying. Leslie Odom Jr. came close to being the best of the bunch as Sam Cooke but he was just beaten to it by Kingsley Ben-Adir's incredible portrayal of Malcolm X, the passion he had for his friends to do their best and not waste their potential being powered home in Ben-Adir's excellent performance.

What Regina King has achieved here with One Night in Miami, her debut feature, is nothing short of excellent, a tale of powerful black men questioning their own ideaologies as they clash with one another at a time in history where their voices would be better united against the injustices they faced.

Good - but some parts were better than others

[directortim2012 · 7/10 · 20 January 2021]

Overall, I think this was a very fine film. Affecting, intelligent. And a great "meeting of the minds" what-if scenario. Some things were better than others. The actor who played Ali nailed a young version of The Greatest. The Malcolm X character was played with some of the real Malcom's fervor and zeal. But having read Malcom X's biography, I find the real Malcolm was stronger and, at times, more severe than he was played here. I understand though the film wanted to capture more of his humanity and vulnerability, which I could appreciate. The boxing scenes didn't look like anything like the way the real Ali fought and were a bit flat. And it took quite a while for the film to get going. But once it does... once it brings these four great men together, it's very good.

Refreshing

[trendsetter-55579 · 10/10 · 26 January 2021]

Laughs, cries, and times of reflection and deep thought. This film takes you through them all. Great job to everyone who made this project come alive.

The acting is the standout

[mr_bickle_the_pickle · 7/10 · 4 February 2021]

I think there is some fantastic acting in this. Especially Kingsley Ben-Adir and Leslie Odom Jr. Now, this also marks Regina King's directorial debut. I dont think she did a bad job, but I dont think she did the best job of transforming this medium. The movie is based on a play and let me tell you, it very often feels like you're watching a play and not a movie.

This is very much an actor's film. You'll watch and enjoy for the performances. But I didnt find anything else about the film stood out to me in any way.

Awesome

[atractiveeyes · 9/10 · 15 January 2021]

Well some people might find this movie boring with only men talking to each other for like 2 hours but it's way more deeper than that. The script of this movie is just so powerful, strong and deep. It is full of powerful and nice lines with many important topics. Performances are brilliant by everyone. The conversations and performances of this movie kept me engaged all the time, they are the strongest elements in it. One Night in Miami is a stylish very well crafted movie with a heavy screenplay and superb performances.

Good movie enhanced by well cast actors

[On_The_Mark · 6/10 · 18 January 2021]

I thought all four guys were really well cast, especially Sam Cooke and Ali.

I'm watching and realize this has to be a play (confirmed in the credits). It takes place in basically one location (a hotel room). So for such a movie you have to have spectacular dialog and I thought it lagged in places. Some of the dialog was contrived, just little things to get people riled up and argue or whatever. Might have been better if it was shorter. And there are great little scenes here and there. But yeah, the four actors were all really great and I like Regina King in general so good for her. She'll get a lot of directing work.

Just Outstanding

[misamer · 10/10 · 26 January 2021]

This was one of the very best movies I have seen to peer into that 60's history. It gave real humanity into this movement in a way for most all to understand in 2021. Just about everything in this movie start to finish gave the total viewer experience as if you were there yourself. The subject matter and content was expressed with the reality the all these men were real and not perfect but driven with the conclusion they had to make their actions really count,it matters to everyone.

Then shocking reality slaps you in your face when a Mega Famous NFL player could not enter the white mans house ! No further point be made of shame,guilt and ignorance rampant in that time. The Bravery and determination of these men made a difference never to be forgotten,never to be repeated.

Missam

More about the message

[dxnntbktfz · 6/10 · 8 February 2021]

This film was more message than a movie. The ideals behind the meeting are important to learn and understand. The acting was well done but overall all it was dull and very wordy. I do recommend a watch but wouldn't be something I'd put in repeat.

I wish I had better things to say about this film, but sadly, I don't

[aidanratesmovies · 4/10 · 5 February 2021]

I went into this film with high hopes, and maybe it was because of that fact I didn't enjoy myself, or simply the fact that the film was not what I expected it to be, but One Night in Miami is unfortunately a dull dud from Regina King and nothing more than another play made into a film that we simply did not need. What frustrates me most about this film is that there is many little things about it that could have been great. I get what the film was trying to do. It's very talky, but still, it could have provided a clear and important conversation on the importance of racial equality among the other things it grazes upon- but sadly, the script is too muttled to focus on a single idea, and too distracted by its four characters to do anything significant with them. 4 Legends ahead of their time, people who not only stood up for racial equality in a trying time, but helped lead a revolution through it all- and yet, we simply sit here watching them in a plain hotel room, with little to nothing going on. It's not even just a missed opportunity, it's a dull experience in general. There is very little to keep your focus during this movie, and little to be learned after it. Are its values important? Of course, but sadly so many films have handled the ideas it tries to place so much better, and sadly, One Night in Miami is just a forgetful film experience. My Rating: 4.5/10

The fantastic 4

[MarcoParzivalRocha · 7/10 · 27 January 2021]

What do 4 African American community icons talk about in a hotel room in Miami?

It's a fictional meeting, yes, but the content discussed could not be more real.

The film focuses on civil rights and the increasingly influential role of African Americans in American society, whether in sport, music, politics or society in general.

The actors are perfect for the roles they play, giving essential authenticity to the story, and not just that each character was the raw reflection of the areas in which they are inserted.

The discussions / talks are captivating and well-paced, without any boring moments.

Regina King really knew how to make this film, without too much drama or too much "demonization" of the white man, and giving to the audience a truth that many still try to hide nowadays.

A confident debut from Regina King

[ronakkotian · 8/10 · 16 January 2021]

Oscar winning actress Regina King makes her directorial debut with this film and I have to say, I'm impressed.

Based on a play of the same name, One Night in Miami shows us a fictional meeting between Malcolm X, Muhammed Ali, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown as they discuss the Civil Rights movement and cultural upheaval during the 60s.

It's an interesting premise and for her feature film debut, Regina King does a great job directing. Majority of the film takes place in a hotel room and so the film really relies on the dialogue and performances which I believe are both strong. Kemp Powers, who also made the play, writes fantastic dialogue that brings to attention the issues during that time, some of which are still relevant to this day. The first act does its job of introducing each icon but the film gets really interesting when they all talk about the Civil Rights movement and their role within it. The way their discussions get more and more heated make for some powerful moments and top-notch acting. Eli Goree and Aldis Hodge do a brilliant job portraying Cassius Clay and Jim Brown but it's Kingsley Ben-Adir and Leslie Odom Jr. that stand out in particular. There are a few great monologues delivered by these two especially Odom Jr. and they both have a chance at winning a couple awards for their work here.

Regina King's direction is solid. She understands the script well and is able to get amazing performances out of the four main actors. I'm hoping she continues to direct more projects in the near future. The main problem I have with the film is that it feels more like a play than a film. I had the same issue with Ma Rainey's Black Bottom but it doesn't take away from how great the dialogue and performances are.

As a whole, One Night in Miami is a confident debut from Regina King. All the actors don a fine job and the film explores these people and their stance on the movement in an engaging way.

POWERFUL FILM.

[andrewchristianjr · 7/10 · 24 January 2021]

Powerful film. Regina King did such a great job at directing and the film looked beautiful. The subject matter was incredibly interesting and couldn't have come at a better time.

A Film which Somewhat Meets Its Potential

[seemingly_reel · 7 December 2020]

Overall, I appreciated this movie, but I wanted to like it even more.

This film is cast fairly well, although the vocalizations from all four leads border on caricaturist... the actors gave it their all, but their personas felt a bit pushed and imitative. It's a difficult, fine balance whenever an actor portrays a real person. This task is perhaps more challenging in this film, because all four of these historical figures are quite esteemed, even to this day.

Several female co-stars got the short shrift - scarce lines. With Regina King at the helm, it's baffling that this would fly. She didn't write the screenplay, yet she did work in close collaboration with Kemp Powers, the screenwriter. Having said that, there are parts of the dialogue which are genuinely stirring.

The production design, costumes, and score were beautiful.

This film has a smattering of ironic, humorous moments which serve it well, because a good chunk of the film is a bit intense, with regards to philosophy and interpersonal tensions. The rhythm got bogged down several times, but there are some lively moments, especially revolving around musical performances.

Refreshing

[kstdeni · 9/10 · 16 November 2020]

In terms of cinematography and performances this is an incredible (perfectly edited) movie. Despite what people say about two hours of men talking to each other, it was quite refreshing seeing black men in different social positions during the civil rights movement.

Can't wait to see more of Regina King's work.

Meeting and conversation like film that was thoughtful set in an era of black culture and civil rights needs.

[blanbrn · 6/10 · 19 January 2021]

Actress Regina King makes her directorial debut here with "One Night in Miami" which was based on a stage play the story involves a fictional night in a Miami hotel room during early 1964. Muhammad Ali has just upset Sonny Liston and for the after party other African American icons like Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and singer Sam Cooke happen to be in town and all meet together in a hotel room. This was a time in America when the black community faced many challenges especially when it came to culture and civil rights. Along the way the film is a showcase on character study and development as it shows how each of the four were guided by religion and politics.

Really the words and dialogue of this film is pretty powerful as director Regina King has scored a knockout as her work blended sports, culture, and entertainment so well really this film I would call a social and historical drama one that any history or film buff should watch as it showed a tainted cultural and time of life as conflict and uncertainty was felt yet four powerful leaders were a showcase of hope and smarts.

Beautiful movie!

[steph-46520 · 10/10 · 16 January 2021]

Absolutely loved this movie from start to finish! I love how everything came together and told such wonderful stories individually but also collectively. I would watch it all over again.

A powerful punch

[cliftonofun · 7/10 · 16 January 2021]

For the first 20 minutes or so of this film, I thought "This definitely feels more like a play than a movie." But then the conversations got going. And the actors started truly inhabiting their roles. And I stopped wondering how much of this night's events were fictional. By that point, it did not just feel cinematic. It felt moving. The performances alone were worth it, but their moments talking together might stick with me even longer. Kudos to Powers and King for giving a stageplay new life and new relevance.

One Night in Miami

[rnixon-15663 · 10/10 · 10 February 2021]

One night in Miami 2020 15 Director: Regina King Starring: Kingsley Ben Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom JR, Lance Reddick etc

Overall rating 98/100

One night in Miami is about of one incredible night where black icons Muhammad Ali, Malcom x, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown, where they gather to discuss their roles in the civil rights movement in the 1960's. Wow, what a movie one night in Miami was, with some of the best acting and one of the best scripts I have heard in a long time, so let's get started.

First of all, the cinematography and costume design, the introductions of all the characters were great and all the characters were very likeable. The movie looked visually fantastic, the rich colours and incredible set pieces that really bought the time period to life around the characters and it was amazing to see, the costume designs were also absolutely fantastic, it really made me understand and appreciate what life back in the 60's was, and they were very visually pleasing to look at. I also loved the introductions to the characters; the movie spent some time introducing and giving background to all four of the different characters in order to establish their lives before they all met and set up their character development with a low point in their life. All the characters were also extremely likeable as soon as they all appeared on screen, I connected to them all instantly all, and everyone had this exciting charm to them and how they behaved and interacted with other people.

My next few positives would be the great narrative structure, its fantastic script and deep themes as well as the fantastic performances. I loved how the movies narrative was structured, the movie actually spent time on each of the characters and gave them all depth and development instead of just focusing on one or two of the characters which I loved. And wow the movies script was one of the best things I have ever heard, it was so detailed and powerful it blew me away, just when I Thought they were going to miss out on something with the characters it was explained, the script added so much depth to the characters and explored so many deep themes from different perspectives on racism that was amazingly done. The performances in the movie were also fantastic. Every single cast member was absolutely fantastic. Kingsley, Eli, Aldis and Leslie were absolutely fantastic, there performances were powerful, emotional and nuanced and they truly bought the characters to life; and gave the movie such a likeable charm to it.

My only slight nitpick would be the slow pacing in places. There were certain points in the movie that just felt like slight filler for the script and didn't have the same entertainment and charm as the rest of the movie, but this only happened on a couple of situations and didn't effect my overall opinion on the movie.

My next few positives would be the humour, chemistry between actors and balanced point of views throughout. Due to the absolutely fantastic chemistry between all of the actors and characters the movie had a great humour between the characters that worked really well, there laughs and jokes were infectious to watch and their friendships often shone because of this. I also loved that the movie balanced all the different opinions of the characters really well. Each character had a different way that they were contributing to the civil rights movement which caused conflict, but each opinion was balanced and treated with respect.

My final few positives would be the character depth, development and it's powerful ending. The movies character depth and development, the all four characters had a personnel conflict within themselves that they had to overcome, this was explored so deeply though their background and the script you really understood all four of the characters, and how they developed with their opinion on themselves and the civil rights movements and even towards each other changed considerably, it was truly incredible to watch. The ending was also very powerful. With the song a change is going to come, with different point of views of what all four people did for the civil rights movement and what they did with their lives was truly emotional and powerful it made me respect all four people and left me amazed with the film.

Overall, One night in Miami boasts some of the best performances I have seen. As well as one of the most deep and complexly written scripts I have ever heard. With a powerful and moving message about racism that was explored perfectly through four of the most influential black people in history, what a directorial debut for Regina King.

Could have been better

[Feel-the-truth · 6/10 · 16 January 2021]

Was really looking forward to this movie, four of the most noteable black men of modern American history in a room, I thought this was going to be reviting, but the movie is not as riveting I was hoping.

Firstly great directorial effort by Regina.

I felt the movie was not focused, there was aspects of serious dialogue exploring every mans view of their America and how each one in their way tried to fight the battle against a racist time, but in between the serious points there was alot of loose talk that removed the seriousness of the overall story.

Conclusion, good acting by all, weak story.

Feels like a history lesson

[rubenm · 5/10 · 16 January 2021]

What works on a theatre stage, doesn't necessarily work on the big screen. 'One Night in Miami' is proof of it. It might have been a good idea to write a stage play about what could have happened during the night in february 1964, when Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown spent an evening in a motel room. But it wasn't a good idea to adapt that play into a movie. The result is predictable: four men talking in a room. What they talk about is interesting: music, politics, race relations, and how they interact. They discuss, they tease each other, they exchange insults, they almost fight, they drink (except for Malcolm X), they laugh now and then (not very often). But that's not enough for a good movie. The film needs a story with a beginning and an end, it lacks action and suspense, the characters are built around their place in the history books, not as if they were real human beings. The conversations are not smooth and natural, but feel contrived and artificial. The whole thing has the feel of a history lesson. To give the movie a more cinematic feel, scenes have been added before and after the meeting in the motel room. They are meant to put some perspective on the discussions in the room. But they make things even worse. They feel like add-ons, and some of them are hammering in a message about race relations that's already very clear.