Whether you’re a fan of reggae music or not, the new biopic about Bob Marley’s legacy will have you singing your favorite songs all day long.
Bob Marley: One LoveDirected by Reynaldo Marcus Green, the film celebrates the life of the iconic Jamaican reggae singer and marks the first time his story has been told on the big screen.
@NowToronto new #Bob Marley The biopic and his son that will be released tomorrow #ziggymarley Director Reynaldo Marcus Green sat down with us to discuss the film and what they liked about it. #Toronto. ♬ Original Sound – Now Toronto
“Bob gave us the gift of music, and this movie is like trying to unpack that gift a little bit. The lyrics, what he was singing for, where he was singing from. Try to understand that,” Green told Now Toronto in an interview ahead of the film’s release in Toronto last week.
The film, made with the help of the Marley family, focuses on the period 1976 to 1978, a period “of the richest musical creation; ” Green added.
Ziggy Marley, the eldest son of Bob and his wife Rita and eight-time Grammy Award winner, was the film’s producer and was on set every day during production to ensure the most authentic portrayal of his father. Bob’s daughter Cedella is also a producer, along with executive producer Brad Pitt.
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British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir (barbie) She stars as Lashana Lynch, a legendary musician and fellow Brit (queen) plays his strong and supportive wife Rita.
Ziggy says capturing the essence of Bob was not an easy task, but when he met Ben-Adir, he knew he was the perfect person for the job.
“He was the only one who really had that about him, and then we talked and I knew he took the role seriously. We’re trying to do something outlandish. “No, this isn’t some quirky Bob Marley character…this is an artist who represents Bob Marley in his own unique artistic way, because no one can be Bob Marley,” Ziggy said on Now. told Toronto.
After more than a year of preparation, Ben-Adir intensively researched the icon that would transform him.
“So obviously he had to learn the physical changes, the choreography, how to play the guitar, how to speak Patois. I mean, it’s a huge amount of work. I don’t think this guy slept for over six months. So it was a relentless work ethic to transform. Kudos to him. What a great job he did,” Green said.
Commenting on Bob’s unique way of speaking Patois, Jamaica’s native language, Ziggy said Bob and other Jamaicans who saw the film when it first premiered on the island were pleased with Ben-Adir’s performance.
“As difficult as it was, Kingsley did a good job. It’s one of the most difficult roles because there’s a dialect. It’s not like someone can imitate the American style as easily as an American.” he said.
Ziggy added that the film is a true representation of Jamaica and Bob and his musical creativity. The film also showed an emotional side to Bob that had never been revealed before, with Ziggy admitting that he felt sad remembering the hardships his father endured.
“…as he goes through that and comes to a realization and a sense of purpose that all of this turmoil that he goes through will not stop him and will never prevent him from ultimately fulfilling his destiny to serve people. “To understand what you did,” Ziggy said.
About Bob Marley: One Love
The film depicts the peak of Marley’s career, beginning with a gruesome assassination attempt on Marley in 1976 at the height of political violence in the country.
However, this danger and turmoil was the catalyst for an undeniable breakthrough in Bob’s musical creativity.
“And that’s exactly what the album is. Exodus is the album that put them on the map. So in a big way, he’s not just a Jamaican star, he’s a global star. So I felt like it would take a lot of focus to get there,” Green said of why the film focused on that era.
Green added that his favorite song on the album was “Jamming”, saying, “It’s hard not to feel good when you listen to ‘Jamming’.”
Throughout the film, the beautiful landscape of the island and its people is captured with the help of a film crew of more than 250 Jamaicans and a cast featuring many of Jamaica’s established and emerging artists.
Director Green said he and cinematographer Robert Elswit spent hours scouting locations to find the right area at the right time to shoot each scene.
“It took me many Saturdays and Sundays to find what I saw in the movie, but it was all worth it to be there with the Jamaican people. It was incredible. . They helped us make this film, and it was something special,” he said.
Ziggy added that making films in Jamaica also created lasting opportunities for locals.
“We didn’t just go there and leave, we left things there and we left development to the schools. You know, we left more affluent communities and people said, ‘Wow, there’s a movie in the ghetto.’ I mean, it was a very uplifting experience for the community and for the people who were in the community… It really fulfilled my father’s purpose on so many different levels. He did a good job. ”
The film follows Bob as he creates and records hit songs after fleeing to London following an assassination attempt. Exodus along with his bandmates The Wailers.
One of the scenes is the band discussing the album cover, and Ziggy says this moment is one of his funniest because of its realism.
“One of my favorite scenes is when Bob and they are in the office and this guy, I think the publicist, is trying to explain to Bob that your picture isn’t in it. And Bob was about to say, “No, this is a great cause,” and the guy was like, “What?” He can’t understand Bob. That’s, you know, so typical and so true that a lot of people can’t understand how Bob would think that. That was really funny and Bob has a great sense of humor,” Ziggy said.
Uniting our love for Toronto
Ziggy and Green were in Toronto last week for a movie premiere, but this isn’t the first time they’ve visited Six.
“I love being here because we have great arts culture, great museums, great food, and of course TIFF!” Green excitedly talked about what she likes to check out in the city.
Ziggy, on the other hand, laughed unapologetically and said: “I don’t like doing nothing, I don’t like being too stimulated here.”
But he said he feels like home every time he visits.
“I still like the Canadian vibe, to be honest, I do, because I live in America now. I mean, it’s a different vibe than the American vibe. I like the Toronto vibe. I like it, but you know the Canadian vibe. It makes you feel at home, you know?”
Bob Marley: One Love It will be broadcast for the first time on February 14th, Valentine’s Day.
