akdaddy I heard people compare this to Private Parts, let me be the first to say not even close. This story is not trying to be a comedy, yet a heartfelt story of black America during the late 1960's. Peety Green was an innovator and changed the face of radio in America. This movie gives is a great story and combines music to flow all the way through. I have watched it over and over again and have a hard time finding a flaw in the performances of the actors. Martin Sheen gives a great performance and when he breaks down crying, in a particular scene, I can't help feeling my heart being torn out to. It really takes the viewer their and brings us close to what people might have been feeling at the time of tragedy in US history. I watched Private Parts and I sure did not feel the way I felt watching this film.

pc95 Talk to Me strikes a reflective chord for much of it's 2 hours and especially towards it's end. It features a run through of the middle lives of 2 radio announcers in Washington DC. The clowning and camaraderie is on display early on, and surely the movie's best energy is during it's first 2/3 of the runtime. Towards the last 20 min or so there's a winding down that's noticeable. Nonetheless Cheadle and Ejiofor are sort of like a ying/yang type relationship as Petey Green and Dewey Hughes. The Cheadle character has been in trouble with the law and street smart, while Ejiofor's has worked hard while clean and also being street smart. This was an interesting sort of a bio/docu-drama outlining the two's friendship from early on spanning 2 decades around the Civil Rights era and later. Good acting amid some slower pacing worth the watch.

lastliberal My wife, before she was my wife, worked in Washington during Petey Greene's time on the radio, but had no idea who he was. Just as the many who live in Washington today probably don't know Tim Russert. This movie shows again the divide that exists in this country when two great men can die without the notice of a large segment of the population. The fact that 10,000 people can attend a funeral and most Americans cannot tell you who this man was is a shame.What really impressed me with this film was the understated way Don Cheadle played the role. He was perfect for the part, and Kasi Lemmons did a superb job of directing Michael Genet's story. I like Chiwetel Ejiofor, and he and Cheadle probably did the roles of their careers here. Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow, Four Brothers) was also great as Petey's companion, and Martin Sheen was a real joy to watch as the station owner.After you find out about Petey Greene by watching this movie, you can always go to You Tube and see the real person. Isn't that great?

clayton-white The story of Petey Greene obviously has great entertainment and educational potential. However, I recently watched this movie and was left unsatisfied. Where this movie most differs from other great bio flicks such as Malcolm X, The Hurricane, Ali and Redemption (the story of Tookie Williams), is that its central figure does not appear to change or evolve in some way by the end of the story. He tries to change in order to appease his manager Dewey, but fails. He starts as a man for the truth (as he sees it) and ends up the same way. That may be commendable, but a man longing for the comfort of "the cave" does not make for a great story.Also, this movie's superficial treatment left me with major unanswered questions about Petey Greene, whom I'd not heard of previously. The movie did not focus on Petey Greene enough, did not get into his head to expose why he thinks the way he does. By the end, I knew more about Dewey's motivation than about Petey's. The movie seemed to be more about how other people responded to Petey than about Petey himself.The actors in the main roles all did an excellent job. Don Cheadle continues to show that he can superbly deliver whatever his role calls for. Chiwetel Ejiofor, portraying another brooding and strong but torn character, steps it up from American Gangster, and gives an excellent performance. Taraji Henson is simply stunning here, and Martin Sheen is one of the greats of our time. Mike Epps and Cedric the Entertainer were wasted here. I can see why they might want to be in on this project no matter how small the part. But, having these two extraordinary personalities present and giving them virtually no important lines struck me as a mistake.Overall, a worthwhile flick despite the above criticisms.