“I’ll tell it to the hot, I’ll tell it to the cold, I’ll tell it to the young, I’ll tell it to the old, I don’t want no laughin’, I don’t want no cryin’, and most of all, no signifyin’. Achtt! This is Petey Greene’s Washington.”
So went Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene's signature signoff on his groundbreaking television program “Petey Greene’s Washington.”
I must confess that before seeing Talk To Me, the just-out biopic starring Don Cheadle, I hadn’t heard of Petey Greene. What a life this guy had. He went from serving time in prison for armed robbery, where he honed his DJing skills over the facility’s PA system, to hosting a trailblazing, tell-it-like-it-is radio program, and eventually a television show, that resonated with black America during the civil rights era. He shared a stage with James Brown, ate dinner at the White House, and when he died of cancer in 1984 at age 53 there were (as the movie tells it) more people at his funeral in D.C., 10,000, than any non-elected official.
But Greene’s rise was a rocky one. He meets the man who will eventually put him on air, Dewey Hughes (played by Nigerian-British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor), while still in prison. Hughes is there to visit his brother, and Greene takes the opportunity to ask him for a job. The program director laughs in his face, but Greene doesn’t give up. The straight-laced Hughes eventually comes around on Greene and, risking his own career, puts him in front of a microphone.
Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Greene finds his voice and his popularity takes off. In his finest hour, he takes to the airwaves following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in an effort to soothe an angry, heartsick city and successfully manages to defuse the violence.
Director Kasi Lemmons's film is weakened by a slow final act that dwells on Hughes, who becomes a radio deejay himself before being promoted to station manager. Petey Greene is absent for much of this section of the film and it loses steam as a result.
Talk To Me succeeds for the most part, and is made stronger by three great performances: the uber-talented Cheadle shines as the complex, tormented Greene, Ejiofor excels as the straight man who’s struggling with his own dreams and desires, and Hustle & Flow’s Taraji P. Henson brings sparkle and surprising depth to the role of Greene’s devoted girlfriend Vernell.
It’s a compelling story about an unlikely hero who spoke for thousands of Americans at a pivotal point in the country’s history.
Bonus marks for a brilliant soul/R&B soundtrack that works within the context of the plot and doesn’t overpower it: including gems from Brown, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and Booker T & The MG’s.
Talk To Me *** (out of 5)
Rated: R
Directed by: Kasi Lemmons
Starring: Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taraji P. Henson
Written by: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa
Related links: Official site, trailer on Apple
Review by Cate Jones
Agree? Disagree? Email Cate at criticizecate@gmail.com
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