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Movies / On DVD / Talk to Me
Talk to Me

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Talk to Me (2007)

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Reviews Counted:119

Fresh:96

Rotten:23

Average Rating:6.9/10

Consensus: A riveting look at the life of legendary DJ "Petey" Greene, Talk to Me goes beyond the typical biopic with explosive performances from Don Cheadle and Chiwetal Ejiofor.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for pervasive language and some sexual content

Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:23-11-2007

Synopsis: Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle portrays the one and only Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr.; Petey's story is funny, dramatic, inspiring – and real. In the mid-to-late 1960s, in Washington, D.C.,... Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle portrays the one and only Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr.; Petey's story is funny, dramatic, inspiring – and real. In the mid-to-late 1960s, in Washington, D.C., vibrant soul music and exploding social consciousness were combining to unique and powerful effect. It was the place and time for Petey to fully express himself – sometimes to outrageous effect – and "tell it like it is." With the support of his irrepressible and tempestuous girlfriend Vernell (Taraji P. Henson), the newly minted ex-con talks his way into an on-air radio gig. He forges a friendship and a partnership with fellow prison inmate Milo's (Mike Epps) brother Dewey Hughes (double Golden Globe Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor). From the first wild morning on the air, Petey relies on the more straight-laced Dewey to run interference at WOL-AM, where Dewey is the program director. At the station, Petey becomes an iconic radio personality, surpassing even the established popularity of his fellow disc jockeys, Nighthawk (Cedric The Entertainer) and Sunny Jim (Vondie Curtis Hall). Combining biting humor with social commentary, Petey openly courts controversy for station owner E.G. Sonderling (Emmy Award winner Martin Sheen). Petey was determined to make not just himself but his community heard during an exciting and turbulent period in American history. As Petey's voice, humor, and spirit surge across the airwaves with the vitality of the era, listeners tune in to hear not only incredible music but also a man speaking directly to them about race and power in America like few people ever have. Through the years, Petey's "The truth just is" style --- on – and off-air – would redefine both Petey and Dewey, and empower each to become the man he would most like to be. -- © Focus Feature [More]

Starring: Don Cheadle, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson

Starring: Don Cheadle, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Mike Epps, Martin Sheen, Vondie Curtis Hall

Director: Kasi Lemmons

Director: Kasi Lemmons
Screenwriter: Michael Genet, Rick Famuyiwa
Story: Michael Genet
Producer: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin
Composer: Terence Blanchard
Studio: Focus Features

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Reviews for Talk to Me

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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A stronger screenplay and more sensitive direction would have made this movie into something far more genuinely uplifting than it is.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
11/23/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

The movie is decent enough, but contains Greene's story in a sentimentalised career arc.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
11/23/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This biopic of Greene, a DJ most Brits will not know, has a limited appeal.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
11/23/07
Sun Online

Poignant and often very funny, Cheadle deserves a clutch of prizes come awards season.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
11/23/07
Daily Mirror [UK]

If the picture doesn’t ultimately live up to the raw vitality of Cheadle’s performance, it remains an uplifting snapshot that broadcasts its message with zero distortion. Tune in and you won’t be turned off.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
11/23/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Total Film

A traditionally handsome biopic bursting with 1960s period detail and firecracker performances, Talk To Me tackles one of the most volatile periods in American history, but tragically finds nothing interesting to say about it.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
11/23/07
Paul Arendt
Paul Arendt
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The incendiary soundtrack and committed performances keep the film in its groove, which could give Cheadle another well-deserved shot at an Oscar.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
11/23/07
Ruth Ford
Ruth Ford
Sky Movies

Thanks to its two leads, the film remains vivid, honest and deeply felt.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
11/22/07
Jonathan Crocker
Jonathan Crocker
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There’s terrific chemistry between the leads, but an episodic structure set over 20 years is too sprawling to really allow for a connection.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
11/21/07
Helen OHara
Helen OHara
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

unusually for a biopic, it is Petey's failure to change, from beginning to end, that forms an essential part of his lionisation.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/15/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Worth seeing for the superb performances from its two leads.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/27/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

This film's slightly uneven structure is easily overcome by the exceptional cast.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
08/09/07
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Tom Meek
Tom Meek
Boston Phoenix

Talk to Me is an incisive portrait of a provocative figure. It comes very close to caricature, but remains human and lively.

Full Review Source: Fayetteville Free Weekly | comment Comment
02/02/09
Tony Macklin
Tony Macklin
Fayetteville Free Weekly
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: NPR.org | comment Comment
10/18/08
Bob Mondello
Bob Mondello
NPR.org

Just as she did in Hustle and Flow, Taraji P. Henson steals many a scene and is wonderful as Greene's flamboyant girlfriend.

Full Review Source: Paste Magazine | comment Comment
07/22/08
Tim Basham
Tim Basham
Paste Magazine
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
02/22/08
Sydney Morning Herald

Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor make a terrific duo, first as enemies, then as colleagues and finally as partners %u2013 until the partnership self destructs.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
02/14/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Even Martin Sheen is keepin' it real.

Full Review Source: Film Snobs | comment Comment
12/11/07
Stephen Himes
Stephen Himes
Film Snobs

A good movie about a powerful friendship, and it brings a bygone era back to life.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
12/10/07
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Talk to Me

October 30, 2007: RT on DVD: Spider-Man 3 Arrives, My So-Called Life Re-issued!
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It's that time of year when the film world's biggest and brightest descend on London and show some Oscar hopefuls nice and early. RT has been spending time eyeing up the films... More...

October 26, 2007: CameraCinemas.com: The film captures the euphoric and daring, rebel music drenched energy that fueled radio culture back then, while also tuning in to the organic intensity of the times. Opens in new window
More...

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