One Love (2003)
★★ — One Love (2003)
One Love was co-directed by Don Letts, the British-Jamaican filmmaker and longtime Culture Club and Clash associate better known for his music documentaries (including the BBC's Punk: Attitude), and Rick Elgood, who had previously made the Jamaican romantic comedy Dancehall Queen in 1997. The production was a modest UK-Jamaica-Norway co-production backed partly by the UK Film Council during a period when that body was actively funding films with diverse British and diasporic voices. Ky-Mani Marley, the son of Bob Marley, leads in what was his second feature acting role, while Idris Elba appears in a supporting capacity before his breakthrough in The Wire had fully registered with mainstream cinema audiences. The film leans into a Romeo-and-Juliet framework familiar from Jamaican popular culture, setting a rasta musician against a gospel community in Kingston.
Alright, let’s get this out of the way first: One Love is about as coherent as a reggae remix of a disco album, vibey, occasionally catchy, but ultimately all over the place. It’s a romantic comedy set in Jamaica with a soundtrack that slaps, some gorgeous scenery, and a baffling cameo from Idris Elba that feels like it belongs in a different movie entirely. Kymani Marley and Cherine Anderson are fine leads, easy on the eyes, easy on the ears. Cherine, in particular, is the real MVP here. She can sing! and her musical performances are easily the film’s high points. Watching her belt out tunes on stage, you’re reminded that she could’ve been a star if handed better material. Kymani brings the charm and the Marley legacy, even if his acting range doesn’t stretch much beyond “laid-back lover boy.” The plot is standard rom-com fare: boy meets girl, boy loses girl due to a series of increasingly dumb misunderstandings, boy tries to win her back with poorly timed declarations of love. There’s something about chasing dreams in the music industry, but it never really grabs hold. The dialogue often veers into cringe territory (“You broke my heart… with your lyrics!”), and the pacing lags like a dial-up internet connection. Then there’s Idris Elba, who shows up for about six scenes as Cherine’s mysterious record producer boss. Why he’s in this movie? No idea. He looks like he was accidentally teleported in from a spy thriller. His presence adds zero narrative value. Still, the film has its moments, especially if you're in the mood for a lazy Sunday afternoon kind of watch. The Jamaican landscapes are lush, the soundtrack is full of feel-good vibes, and it's clear everyone involved was trying their best with what they had.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2003 | Watched: 2025-07-06
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Rent: Amazon Video · BFI Player
Buy: Amazon Video
Physical: Amazon UK
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