Female Film Critics 24/375
Director David Gordon Green and Blumhouse Productions felt possessed to scare up more box office success with another film about possessed girls. Believer won’t satisfy your need to scream. The fright level is low. The movie poster is scarier. The ending was the best, but not necessarily because it was over
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One Night in Miami dramatizes four Black men’s extraordinary interaction
Imagine February 25, 1964, and four extraordinary Black men coming together for an evening of camaraderie. Then imagine these amazing men are Sam Cooke, Jim Brown, Cassius Clay, and Malcolm X. This is exactly what director Regina King’s One Night in Miami spectacularly presents as this remarkable foursome talks, laughs, argues, and probes the most significant issues of Black America.
Oscar-and-Emmy-winning actress-turned-director Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk, Watchmen) is determined to tell powerful stories that haven’t been heard – like this fictionalized meeting of Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, NFL star James Brown and singer Sam Cooke in 1964.
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Anyone who thinks female directors should stick to telling women’s stories is a) sexist and b) in for a surprise when they watch Regina King’s powerful directorial feature film debut One Night in Miami. Based on Kemp Powers’ same-named 2013 play, it imagines the fascinating conversation that might have happened between activist Malcolm X, boxer Cassius Clay, singer Sam Cooke, and NFL star Jim Brown had they all found themselves in the same place on the night of February 25, 1964.
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Regina King is such a brilliant actor that it’s not surprising she works wonders with the stellar male ensemble in her directing debut, One Night in Miami. Adapted by Kemp Powers from his 2013 speculative stage play, the action is set in just a single night —Feb. 25, 1964, the night that Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) won the world heavyweight championship at age 22 by defeating Sonny Liston in a title bout at the Miami Beach Convention Center. It unfolds largely in single hotel room where Clay celebrates with friends Malcolm X (Kinglsey Ben-Adir); football legend Jim Brown Aldis Hodge; and singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.).
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It has been clear for a while that Regina King was headed for feature film direction, and she found a great and compelling subject in the historic night in 1964 when Cassius Clay (soon to be Mohammad Ali), Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown spent the evening together after Clay defeated Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall. Screenwriter and playwright Kemp Powers adapted his award-winning play and King populated her film with a powerhouse cast that shines both individually and as an ensemble.
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Regina King seems to have the Midas touch whenever awards season comes around. She has amassed quite a load of gold in the form of an Oscar, four Emmys, a Golden Globe and a SAG ensemble honor in her career. But this year, she might just win gold with her debut behind the camera, One Night in Miami. King has been in training to be a director for a while by helming TV episodes of This Is Us, Insecure and Scandal.
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Amazon Studios has set a release date for Oscar and Emmy winner Regina King’s feature directorial debut, One Night in Miami, which has already earned widespread acclaim and Oscar buzz on the festival circuit. The celebrated film will open in select theaters on Dec. 25, followed by a global launch on Jan. 15, exclusively on Prime Video.
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As early as Lois Weber and Ida Lupino, women have shifted professionally from acting to directing. This is no generalized segue to Regina King and her directorial debut, One Night in Miami: as a director, she is that talented, that important, that pioneering. In 2020 we can save ourselves enormous energy and drama by just handing King and One Night in Miami all the major awards now and save ourselves the circus of pretending any film this year will better it.
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