One Night In Miami Review - 8 Ups & 0 Downs
2. Leslie Odom Jr's Sam Cooke
The whole cast are phenomenal in the film, but Leslie Odom Jr rises above the rest with his fully realised and tragic portrayal of Sam Cooke.
The legendary singer was killed less than a year after the events depicted in the film but his popularity has never faded because of his enduring legacy. A legacy that Odom Jr writes himself into with his gripping performance that gives Cooke life on-screen and a reminder of the eternal beauty of his voice.
Sam Cooke is the anti-Malcolm X in many ways through the film. So many points are made about how Cooke and X just didn't see their fight in the same way, but the one point that they happen to agree on led Cooke to write A Change Is Gonna Come. Possibly Cooke's greatest and most famous song that has endured the ages to remain a symbol of oppression and change.
When Leslie Odom Jr finally sings his rendition of the song as Cooke, it is hard not to become emotional as the pain and anger of what is happening all around him is poured forth from his soul. Few will argue that when Oscar night comes Odom Jr shouldn't be there as a nominee.