Never reaches its full tempo
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03/14/08
Honeydripper (2007)
67
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:79
Fresh:53
Rotten:26
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: Honeydripper's electric musical numbers and sharp performances make for an exciting film, despite its slow pace.
Theatrical Release:09-05-2008
Synopsis: Iconoclastic filmmaker John Sayles, in his feature film, continues his extraordinary examination of the complexities and shifting identities of American sub-cultures in the new film...
Into town drifts Sonny Blake, a young man with nothing to his name but big dreams and the guitar case in his hand. Rejected by Tyrone when he applies to play at the Honeydripper, he is intercepted by the corrupt local Sheriff, arrested for vagrancy and rented out as an unpaid cotton picker to the highest bidder. But when Tyrone's ace-in-the-hole fails to materialize at the train station, his desperation leads him back to Sonny and the strange, wire-dangling object in his guitar case. The Honeydripper lounge is all set to play its part in rock n' roll history.
Honeydripper features an all-star cast including Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Stacy Keach, Mary Steenburgen,Yaya DaCosta and Sean Patrick Thomas; as well as such notable musicians as Keb’ Mo’ and Dr. Mable John. It also introduces a major new talent, Gary Clark Jr. who makes his electrifying film debut as Sonny. debut as Sonny. --© Emerging Films [More]Starring: Danny Glover, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Charles S. Dutton, Mary Steenburgen
Director: John Sayles
Reviews for Honeydripper
Those who are patient will be rewarded with an engaging cast and the type of rousing ending that makes it worthwhile.
03/13/08
The cumulative effect is very tasty indeed.
03/10/08
It survives on its versatile leads, its smoky cinematography (courtesy of Dick Pope) and its seductive musical performances, which run from gospel to jazz to blues to the to the electrifying kick-start of early rock 'n' roll.
03/07/08
John Sayles is back in the saddle with another film in his regional cinema series
03/06/08
like a rich and complex novel rendered as a visual experience that is equally rich and as unabashedly poetic in its images as Sayles is with his metaphors
03/04/08
Honeydripper is an electrifying period piece about how music can bring folks together and generally save one's soul -- or at least its final 15 minutes is. The rest of the time, it's just a lot of sassy talk and scenery.
02/29/08
Even more than the music in this musically rich picture, the great pleasure of Honeydripper is in watching Danny Glover as Tyrone Purvis, the club owner.
02/29/08
Honeydripper is a pleasant enough story, but when Sayles is involved, it is a shock to feel so little.
02/29/08
With its cotton-field locations, diddley-bo props and scripted nods toward blues history and mythology, 'Honeydripper' somehow feels touristy rather than authentic -- as if it were a product of research rather than passion.
02/29/08
John Sayles returns with another literate, professional, yet highly enjoyable film.
02/29/08
Although Honeydripper won a screenplay award at the San Sebastián Film Festival, it's not Sayles' strongest work. Part of the problem is that it keeps building to a rock-'n'-roll payoff that never quite arrives.
02/22/08
With each turn of events being telegraphed well in advance, there are no surprises in Sayles' script. The cast, however, headed by Glover's complex portrait of a man plagued by his past, is fresh enough to cover the stale plot mechanics.
02/22/08
Trudging nobly under a mantle of impeccably earnest intentions and a fussy, too-quaint-by-half production design, Honeydripper lags and drags to its utterly predictable end. There's not a spark of spontaneity or soul about it.
02/21/08
A musical period piece that manages to be lighthearted and socially conscious.
02/15/08
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02/15/08
Top CriticGorgeous cinematography, fine acting, splendid music, good old-fashioned story -- what's not to like?
02/13/08
It has all the reliable components of Sayles' films: a strong social conscience; well-drawn characters whose lives overlap convincingly; a languid pace that allows for the honest unfolding of their foibles and fears; a vivid evocation of a place and time.
02/08/08
It's a solid history lesson that's less solid as a movie, simply because so much of the weight seems to be crammed into a too-fragile framework. As a film, Honeydripper is fine history put to less fine use.
02/08/08
It's best to forget the story here and focus on those small moments that shine in any Sayles film.
02/08/08
Latest News for Honeydripper
December 25, 2007:
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December 25, 2007:
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