One Night In Miami might have not happened as is. It doesn’t matter. The gratifying drama intersects the lives of four critical figures in American culture to celebrate a dynamic “what if.” Sam Cooke, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Malcolm X met in a Florida hotel room for a night in 1964. The moment is quite an evening to be a fly on the wall and the film lets us eavesdrop.
This quartet represents not just a high percentage of elite African-American figures at the time, but also an important cross-section in history. Set in the Civil Rights Era, One Night In Miami takes place as heavyweight champ Cassius Clay is on the cusp of converting to Islam and becoming Muhammad Ali. Conversely, Malcolm X is considering leaving the Nation of Islam. Jim Brown and Sam Cooke are on the verge of making significant transitions in their own careers.
The story is set and presented well. This is a tribute to director Regina King (who is making her feature film debut behind the lens). King also cast the movie at a high level. Each actor relays important aspects of their character without consuming the spotlight. Aldis Hodge (Jim Brown), Eli Goree (Muhammad Ali), Leslie Odom, Jr. (Sam Cooke), and Kingsley Ben-Adair (Malcolm X) turn the fictitious moment into a time capsule.
What King’s story does best is place its audience in the shoes of each star. Most of the film celebrates their achievements rather than offer deep character studies. It does not need to dig into any shortcomings either. The audience is invested in this intersection of four stars at a unique time in their lives. Given their celebrity and the social issues of the time, it is arguable that no other film could bring together a more compelling group of non-politicians in such a simple setting.
The at-large issues, of course, are social dilemmas heavily entrenched in the Civil Rights Era. Each man has to weigh their approach to the growing movement. A miscalculated move could adversely alter their professional lives, even though each feels compelled to engage in the moment. Their different styles infuse the script with important micro and macro considerations.
This allows King to center around Malcolm X. The group’s biggest lightning rod is also the agent driving their changes. How the film portrays Malcolm X’s goading of his compatriots and his own shortcomings provides key swing moments that prompt compelling dialogue about each of their decisions.
The overall result is a predictable, but forward-thinking piece of cinema. Along with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, One Night In Miami is at least the second high-level screen adaptation of a play in a 2020 movie. Neither escapes the feel of theater, although that’s more than okay in each instance. Their stories relay intriguing moments in time and present them as must-watch versions of the original material.
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