The new Bob Marley biopic, “One Love,” is getting slagged by movie critics, which probably won’t make much difference to audiences, who gave it high scores regardless. Only a few of the reviews complained about the music, though Jack Hamilton’s review in Slate dinged it for presenting a “dorm-room poster” version of his oeuvre.
The film covers only two years of Marley’s life, from the attempt on his life in Kingston in 1976 through the recording of his 1977 album “Exodus,” but fleshes out his story with flashbacks. Hamilton says one of the highlights is a scene of a teenaged Marley and the Wailers recording his first big hit, “Simmer Down,” which was the No. 1 song in Jamaica 50 years ago this month. The Wailers recorded it with ska legends the Skatalites.
