Talk to Me (2008)
THE SCOOP
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Cast: Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Sheen
Plot: The story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.
Genre: Biography / Drama / History
Awards: -
Runtime: 118min
Rating: M18 for pervasive language and some sexual content.
IN RETROSPECT (Spoilers: YES)
“I
need you to say the things I can't say, and you need me to do the things you
can't do.”
Kasi
Lemmons is one filmmaker to look out for in the near future. Her newest motion
picture, Talk to Me, is a convincing and
weighty film that is both intellectual and entertaining. Lemmons, whose
previous directorial efforts include the drama Eve’s Bayou (1997), displays extraordinary
confidence in tackling themes that dwell
mostly on race.
Talk to Me is set behind the backdrop
of one of modern America’s bleakest moments: the
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.. Behind the somber
facade, Lemmons tells the story of Petey Greene, a black ex-convict who fought against all odds
to become one of America’s most iconic and
influential radio DJs ever.
Talk to Me stars Don Cheadle as
Greene in a role that shows his natural acting ability in front of the camera. Cheadle, whose display in the drama Hotel Rwanda (2004)
remains to be career-defining,
carves out a heavy-accented, energetic, and slightly nonchalant performance
that is deserving of a second Oscar
nomination. He is so pitch-perfect that we see Greene on screen rather than
Cheadle’s impersonation of Greene himself.
The
supporting cast is very strong as well. Chiwetel Ejiofor is another to look out
for; his often sparkling dialogue with Cheadle is what makes the movie tick. Martin Sheen’s underrated role as the no-nonsense boss of a radio station also
lends a comical touch to the proceedings.
Lemmons
does not shy away from the frequent use of racist terms such as ‘nigger’ and
the incessant stereotyping of blacks by
whites. The
frankness of the script and the ease in which the dominant black cast of
Cheadle and co. have executed it, is in a queer way a good barometer of the
blacks’ increasing acceptance of their place in society.
The
directing is superb; not for one moment does the film feel dull. Furthermore,
the pacing is just right; it neither feels rushed nor slow. The emotional
payoff at the end is high, especially in the scene when Ejiofor’s character
reads the eulogy during Greene’s funeral.
Talk to Me is a slice of American
history told through the eyes and voice of one of the most unique personalities of the
nation at that time. This film is a contender for a respectable position in my
annual top ten charts. Be cool, yo.
GRADE: A- (8.5/10 or 4 stars)
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