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Storyline
Set on the night of February 25, 1964, "One Night in Miami" follows a young, brash Cassius Clay as he emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center the new Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. Against all odds, he defeated Sonny Liston and shocked the sports world. While crowds of people swarm Miami Beach to celebrate the match, Clay - unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws - spends the evening at the Hampton House Motel in Miami's African American Overtown neighborhood celebrating with three of his closest friends: Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown. During this historic evening, these icons, who each were the very representation of the Pre-Black Power Movement and felt the social pressure their cross-over celebrity brought, shared their thoughts with each other about their responsibilities as influencers, standing up, defending their rights and moving the country forward to equality and empowerment for all black people. The next morning, the ...
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Leslie Odom Jr. and Jasmine Cephas Jones previously worked together in the broadway production of Hamilton.
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Goofs
At the very start of the movie the boxing match is credited as taking place at "Wembley Park". The arena is actually called Wembley Stadium. Wembley Park is the name of one of the London Underground (tube) stations that serves the stadium.
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Quotes
Jim Brown:
Don't you think it's about time to party?
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Soundtracks
Sácala
Written by
Tito Puente
Performed by
Tito Puente And His Orchestra featuring Vincentito Valdes
Published by Judson Music administered by ABKCO Music Inc.
Courtesy of RCA Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment
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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.