Eli Goree portrayal of young Muhammad Ali is Oscar-worthy

Eli Goree does a masterful job in portraying Muhammad Ali- then Cassius Clay- in new feature film One Night In Miami.

One Night in Miami…

4.5 stars

If you’re looking for a film that connects the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s to the issues we face in America today, One Night in Miami… does so without batting an eye.

Director Regina King’s debut is a remarkable adaption of a play, which is set mainly in a hotel room in 1964 following then-Cassius Clay’s boxing title victory over Sonny Liston.

If you’re hard-pressed for comparisons, think Denzel Washington’s Fences. Only, One Night tackles race via social issues instead of focusing on the anatomy of a Black working-class family.

One Night In Miami…submerges itself in the post-fight conversations and reflections between Clay, NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown, Civil Rights Leader Malcolm X, and legendary singer Sam Cooke.

The content touches your soul throughout the film’s almost 2-hour entirety. It effectively allows the viewer to let the lessons from approximately 60 years ago sink in- many times reaching a thought-provoking “hmmm” crescendo. The writing is brilliant, and watching the characters interact on screen is a treat for many of us that really haven’t seen much, if any, real-life footage of the characters portrayed.

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The cast was well-assembled and incredibly acted. Perhaps the brightest star was Eli Goree, who plays Clay in the midst of his conversion to Islam, just a short time before he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

Goree was on-point with Ali’s speech cadences, tone, pitch, mannerisms, and his infamous Louisvillian draw. At times, even in a captivating scene, you have no choice but to smile or chuckle in awe of his accuracy.

Aside from Goree’s performance, the rest of the main cast knocked it out of the park as well. This was especially true of Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Cooke.

I fully expect this film, King, Goree, and, perhaps, Odom, to be up for several accolades when award season comes around. If I’m hedging Oscar bets today, my money is on both King and Goree to score big. A spell-bounding, inspiring film that deserves everything good that comes its way.