ReelBob: ‘One Night in Miami’ ★★★½

By Bob Bloom

In “One Night in Miami,” Oscar-winning actress Regina King moves to behind the camera, transforming us into flies on the wall as we listen to four powerful and famous black men — Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke — discuss what it means to be black as well as the responsibilities that encompasses.

The film takes place the night of Feb. 25, 1964, the night Clay defeated Sonny Liston and claimed boxing’s heavyweight crown.

The moment is early in the growing civil rights movement. It also is a time when the lives of this quartet of black icons are in flux.

The film, adapted by Kemp Powers from his play, has been opened up for the screen with scenes depicting the men facing challenges or adversities prior to their get-together in Malcolm X’s hotel room after the Clay-Liston fight.

For Malcolm, it is a loss of faith after learning of the sexual transgressions of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammed. We see Clay battling British fighter Henry Cooper and not taking the bout seriously, causing him to nearly lose the fight. Cooke bombs at the Copacabana in New York City, where he follows comedian Myron Cohen.

The most devastating moment centers on Brown. He is visiting Georgia where he stops by the regal home of an old family friend, played by Beau Bridges. They drink lemonade and have a warm conversation. The old man is reminded by his housekeeper that he has to move a bureau and Brown offers to help. Casually, and without batting an eye, he is reminded, “Jimmy, you know we don’t allow niggers in the house.”

It’s a jaw-dropping moment that leaves you speechless.

These vignettes are appetizers that set the table for what is to come.

King creates a compelling and very watchable feature, despite its theatrical origins. Most of the movie is confined to one set — Malcolm’s hotel room — where the men joke, tease, challenge and argue about what is expected of them.

This is a dialogue-heavy endeavor, but the words come in rapid-fire cadences as each man explains and defends his position on race and obligation to the community.

Malcolm, a fiery Kingsley Ben-Adir, is the political activist, pushing his friends to be more militant and outspoken.

Brown, played by Aldis Hodge, is the greatest NFL running back of his era. He also is a pragmatist, who is clear-eyed about what the white football establishment thinks of him.

Clay, an ebullient Eli Goree, is young and cocky, believing his reign will last forever — totally unaware of what the future holds for him.

Cooke, a smooth Leslie Odom Jr., sees himself as a black entrepreneur, who has used his voice to make his way. He has started his own publishing company, mentoring black songwriters and artists. Like Brown, he is a pragmatist.

When Malcolm accuses Cooke of not supporting black artists, Cooke fires back, telling him that a song recorded by Bobby Womack, “It’s All Over Now,” that had climbed only as far as 95 on the charts, went to the top of the charts after he gave an up-and-coming British group, The Rolling Stones, permission to record it.

Yes, Cooke said, Womack was upset when his version fell off the charts, but he cheered up after he began receiving the royalty checks from the Stones’ recording.

The men all share thoughts about their hopes and aspirations. Clay reveals that he is contemplating joining the Nation of Islam; Brown reveals that he has made a movie, enjoys acting and is pondering retiring from football; Cooke, again put on the defensive by Malcolm who challenges the singer after playing Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” to write a comparable song says he is slowly working on one, which when completed is Cooke’s anthem for the movement, “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

And Malcolm divulges his disillusionment with the Nation of Islam and his plan to leave and begin his own organization.

“One Night in Miami” is a commanding movie with dynamic performances. It is stagey and dialogue-heavy, but also so, so compelling that you lean in to listen because you don’t want to miss a word.

The film, one of the best of the year, should garner a bevy of Academy Award nominations, with King, especially, in the forefront for consideration.

It is a superb examination of four men in the prime of their lives, charting their futures — all, with the possible exception of Malcom — optimistically looking forward to helping themselves and their people gain a bigger share of the American dream.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
3½ stars out of 4
(R), language