Mommy Talk Show Candid Conversation with a TV Mom
Watch: One Night in Miami Trailer
Insightful Conversation
When folks who live their lives like they have a lot to say get together in one room, it’s hard to keep quiet.
Back in 1964, four Black American men who lived their beliefs out loud all got together.
Jim Browne was at the height of his football career, but also at a crossroads professionally.
Malcolm X was debating leaving the Nation of Islam even though he was its biggest public mouthpiece.
Sam Cooke was selling records and making millions of dollars but he wasn’t really putting his genius self into his songs.
Muhammad Ali just shocked the world with his heavyweight championship win against Sonny Liston. But that win was overshadowed by the headlines about his interest in becoming a Muslim.
Put all four of these men together at a deeply pivotal time of their lives, add their gigantic egos, set them in a tiny hotel room and you have the dynamics for One Night in Miami.
You Will Laugh
Don’t get me wrong. One Night in Miami is a very serious film.
Malcolm X played by Kingsley Ben-Adir is brooding and serious. There’s enough eery foreshadowing of Malcolm X’s death to make you feel the weight of the world.
Sam Cooke played by Leslie Odom, Jr. is the smallest physical character in the room, but his personality and depth are huge.
Muhammad Ali played by Eli Goree is the young, spry, heavyweight world champion who jumps on the hotel bed like a 12-year-old and can’t stop admiring himself in the mirror.
Jim Browne played by Aldris Hodge landed a comedic line so beautifully when Malcolm X tried to convince him to become a Muslim – that I fell off the couch laughing and rewinded the scene three times to fully enjoy it.
Final thoughts
February is Black History Month
If you’d like to watch another Black-woman directed film that I loved, check out ‘The Old Guard” by Gina Prince-Bythewood which was my favorite film of 2020.
