Talk to Me (Widescreen Edition)

I had heard an hour long expose on the life of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene and Dewey Hughes on National Public Radio and was fascinated by the story of their extraordinary partnership/friendship at WOL-AM radio.Arrested for armed robbery and handed a ten -year prison sentence,Petey becomes the disc jockey at Lorton Prison.Upon early release, Petey marches into WOL for a job.With Hughes reluctant help Petey becomes the voice and conscience for Black Americans on talk radio.He is soulful, insightful,many times drunk!...... Interesting story!

Well, this story has become a film to be reckoned with, and in the hands of acting greats Don Cheadle as Petey and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Hughes TALK TO ME is turned into the finest bit of on-screen time by two men this year. These two gentlemen KNOW how to handle their characters.Two finer performances, I dare say, will not be seen this year that are portrayed with such depth,skill and finesse.LET'S TALK OSCARS and GLOBES HERE!!!

Actress Kasi Lemmons of EVE'S BAYOU fame has made an outstanding film .This gifted actress is also a gifted writer and director. She knows how to let a story unfold and implicitly trusts her stars to do the job naturally and with control.

Also featuring Michael Epps as Hughes' brother and Teraji henson as Petey's girlfriend, Vernell, This film is pure and seamless ensemble work at it's finest. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!

Fantastic! In all ways! You just can't go wrong with Don Cheadle. He's that good. I love seeing the 60's and 70's as they were such a potent time in our country and I never tire of the clothes and styles of speech from that era. Any great movie captures the emotions of that time as this one did. Love watching the birth of trend setters, too. This character was smooth and abrasive at the same time. That's an enjoyable quality to witness. Petey stuck to his guns throughout a life filled with controversy. He never wavered. That's admirable. When the two main characters acknowledge what their friendship means to each other, it's powerful. A friend had been trying to get me to watch this for months. Glad I finally listened!

The Kasi Lemmons-lensed "Talk to Me," starring Don Cheadle as notorious shock jock and television personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, is an absorbing, way to spend two hours. A historical drama laced with sharp doses of comedy, the film depicts the roller coaser ride of Greene's life and provides the perfect vehicle for the incredible Cheadle to sink his teeth into.

In mid-1960's Washington D.C. Greene is five years into a sentence at Lorto Reformatory for armed robbey and already infamous as the prison disc jockey when he crosses paths with Dewey Hughes, portrayed by the engaging Chiwetel Ejiofor, a representative of local AM radio station WOL who is leaving the facility after visiting his brother.

"Your brother said y'all need a new DJ at that radio station," Greene says to Hughes. "Hey, I'm your man!"

"You're in prison," he replies.

"It's a minor challenge."

Through smart maneuvering Greene is able to procure an early release, and persistence pays off when he lands his own radio program "Rapping with Petey Greene," although he is under the watchful eye of station head E.J. Sonderling, played by Martin Sheen. Though initially fired for his dirty mouth and brazen manner, it soon becomes clear that he must be reinstated; the people have spoken, and he is their voice. When shocking events like the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rock the city and bring the turbulent decade to a head, Greene is there to calm the sad, the angry and all in-between as his popularity continues on the upswing. With Hughes as manger and creative partner, will he savor his newfound position as local luminary, or grow too big for his own shoes?

Cheadle nails the role not only because he is an adept comedic actor but also because he knows how to navigate the dramatic nuances that possessed Greene at the height of his fame. His range is so vast yet his performance so natural that, like most good things, it is easy to take for granted. Ejiofor is pitch-perfect as Hughes, candidly displaying the humanity of a man so hell bent on achieving success and rising above his modest upbringing that he soon becomes blind to reason and, most significantly, where he came from. Sheen is also firmly in character as the bureaucratic yet benevolent Sonderling, and Taraji P. Henson is a delight as Greene's brassy girlfriend Vernell.

The film could be a solid 20 minutes shorter, and the few but notable historical inaccuracies peppered throughout the plot are needless, especially in these days of Google and Wikipedia. However, "Talk to Me" is still nonetheless wholly entertaining and even inspiring.

Look for Cheadle to garner an Oscar nod this coming Tuesday.