One Night in Miami

Last night I had the chance to see One Night in Miami and I think it is absolutely brilliant!  It is a fictionalized version of a meeting that happened between boxer Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom, Jr.), football legend Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and activist Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) in a hotel room in Miami Beach after Clay becomes the World Heavyweight Champion by defeating Sonny Liston (Aaron D. Alexander) in 1964.  Their conversations are highly charged as they discuss the responsibility they have as successful Black men to further the civil rights movement.  The story is incredibly thought-provoking and I had tears in my eyes in the final scene because it is so powerful and, more importantly, because change is still needed even after all of these years.  The structure of the narrative is extremely effective because we are introduced to the four characters, and the struggles they face despite their fame and wealth, individually in a prologue before their meeting and then we see the effect of that meeting on their later lives in an epilogue afterwards. Regina King's direction is surprisingly dynamic considering the fact that the majority of the action takes place in the confined space of a hotel room.  My attention never wavered.  The four lead actors give absolutely phenomenal performances but I was especially impressed with Hodge, who has an imposing presence but is heartbreaking in a scene where a family friend (Beau Bridges) showers Brown with praise for his athletic prowess but won't let him inside the house, and Odom, who is defiant when Cooke is accused of selling out and then vulnerable when he laments that fact that he should have been the one to write "Blowin' in the Wind."  I loved hearing Odom sing Cooke's songs because it is impressive how well he captures his voice, particularly in an incredibly emotional version of "A Change is Gonna Come" (which is what prompted my tears at the end of the movie), and I also really enjoyed his original song "Speak Now" which plays during the credits.  This is an important and timely movie and I highly recommend it (with the proviso that there is a lot of profanity).  It is in theaters now for a limited engagement and then it will stream on Prime Video beginning January 15.