'One Night in Miami' packs a powerful dramatic punch

A fascinating historical meeting of the minds provides the foundation for Regina King's impressive feature film directorial debut in "One Night in Miami," a creative extrapolation about Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke coming together in 1964. It's a small but riveting movie, anchored by a quartet of knockout performances.

Adapted by Kemp Powers from his play (he's having quite a year, having just co-directed Pixar's "Soul"), the story hinges on Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir, who recently played Barack Obama in Showtime's "The Comey Rule") trying to recruit high-profile converts to Islam, using Ali (Eli Goree), then still Cassius Clay, as his point of entry. The boxer has just won the heavyweight title when he and friends gather in a Florida hotel room. Rounding out the foursome are star NFL running back Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) and crooner Sam Cooke ("Hamilton's" Leslie Odom Jr.), who are skeptical about Malcolm X's pitch, if only because of what it would mean, they joke, about giving up porkchops and drinking.