Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Kingsley Ben-Adir | ... | Malcolm X | |
Eli Goree | ... | Cassius Clay | |
Aldis Hodge | ... | Jim Brown | |
Leslie Odom Jr. | ... | Sam Cooke | |
Lance Reddick | ... | Kareem X | |
Christian Magby | ... | Jamaal | |
Joaquina Kalukango | ... | Betty X | |
Nicolette Robinson | ... | Barbara Cooke | |
Michael Imperioli | ... | Angelo Dundee | |
Lawrence Gilliard Jr. | ... | Drew 'Bundini' Brown | |
Derek Roberts | ... | Jerome X | |
Beau Bridges | ... | Mr. Carlton | |
Emily Bridges | ... | Emily Carlton | |
Amondre D. Jackson | ... | L.C. Cooke | |
Jerome A. Wilson | ... | Elijah Muhammad (as Jerome Wilson) |
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 ...
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.