TALK TO ME - DVD review

"Talk To Me" is based on the true life story of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, a disc jockey during the 60's and 70's who some have called one of the original "shock jocks." However, to label Greene as such would be an oversimplification of the man and his life's work. Greene was born in Washington DC and grew up in the predominantly black Georgetown. After dropping out of high school, Greene joined the Army and served in the Korean War before being discharged for drug use. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for armed robbery in 1960. While serving out his time, Greene doing announcements over the PA system and played records sent to him by his grandmother. This would lead him on the path to becoming a disc jockey, television personality, and outspoken rights activist.

The film begins with Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the programming director for the DC radio station WOL-AM, visiting his brother, Milo (Mike Epps), at Lorton Reformatory where he's serving a life sentence. Their visit is less than cordial as Dewey really wants nothing to do with his brother and only visits as a promise to their mother. Milo has mentioned his brother to Petey (played by Don Cheadle) who wants a job at Dewey's station. The fact that he's in prison is only a minor challenge. Sure enough, Petey wins over the warden and time off for good behavior after talking down an inmate about to commit suicide. Turns out, Petey actually spent six months trying to convince the man to go through with his plan.

Fresh out of the joint, Petey strolls on into the WOL offices expecting a job handed to him on a silver plate. Instead, his brash behavior and colorful language mortify Dewey and enrage the station owner, E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen). Thrown out of the building, Petey calls Dewey a sell-out and gathers a group of protestors outside the lobby. Nicknamed derisively by Petey as Mr. Tibbs, Dewey puts him in his place during a game of pool as he reveals that he too grew up in the projects and never forgot where he came from. Dewey convinces a reluctant Sonderling to put Petey on the air only to fire him a scant few minutes later after Petey calls Barry Gordy, the head of Motown Records, a pimp. Petey & Dewey lock Sonderling in his office the following morning and sneak into the broadcast booth When the station's phone lines are flooded with calls, Sonderling agrees to hire Petey on a full-time basis, but with some reservations.

Petey becomes the talk of the town, but his career takes a real jumpstart after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Seeing the city torn about by fires and riots, Petey returns to the station to plead for peace. Dewey sees big things in Petey's future and they leave behind their tiny radio booth for the stand-up circuit and televised talk shows. It's at this point where the film makes a wrong turn at Albequerque, veering away from a fascinating biopic to a tired fable about fame and celebrity. Petey becomes uncomfortable with the sudden attention and being pigeon holed as simply a stand-up comic. Dewey is oblivious and like a beauty pageant mother, pushes on, living out his own dreams through Petey. The tension between the two comes to a head as Petey walks off in the middle of an appearance on the "Tonight Show." We watch as the pair go their separate ways and eventually reconcile after years of estrangement. It's a story that has been played out on the screen many times before, the recent "Dreamgirls" comes to mind.

Even with a lackluster second half, "Talk To Me" is worthy of a recommend thanks to an all-around strong cast. As Petey Greene, Don Cheadle easily conveys the bluster and swagger of his character, but it's during the quieter, introspective moments that he truly shines. He's played memorable supporting roles in films like "Devil in a Blue Dress", "Boogie Nights", and the "Ocean's" films, but it's films like "Hotel Rwanda" and "Talk To Me" that earn him acclaim as a leading man. Right by his side is another actor that is establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with, Chiwetel Ejiofor. He first caught my attention as the Operative in "Serenity" and has since defied typecasting by playing divergent roles such as a drag queen in "Kinky Boots" and a blaxploitation-esque gangster in "Four Brothers." Add in "Children of Men", "Inside Man", and the upcoming "American Gangster" and the man has built up an impressive resume. Ejiofor has excellent chemistry with Cheadle and their scenes together are wonderful to watch. Rounding out the cast are the always dependable Martin Sheen as the put-upon Sonderling; Taraji P. Henson ("Hustle & Flow") as Greene's girlfriend, Vernell; plus Vondie Curtis-Hall and Cedric the Entertainer as rival WOL DJs.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. This is a splendid transfer. The colors are strong and the picture is clean without any grain or specks. It's not a movie you'd use to show off your setup, but it's still high quality.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. The movie is heavy on dialogue and every line comes in crisp and clear. The film's soundtrack consists of many big hits of the 60's and 70's. Again, it's not reference quality, but still sounds sweet.

EXTRAS:
Who is Petey Greene? is an eleven minute featurette about the real-life Greene using interviews with the cast and crew. It's a short, fluff piece with no true insight into Greene. A longer, in-depth featurette or something in the vein of an A&E Biography would have been better.

Recreating P-Town runs ten minutes and is another extra of EPK quality. The cast and crew discuss how they replicated the fashion and styles of the 70's, along with creating authentic sets that replicated DC.

Finally, there's a reel of deleted scenes that are played together. You can't choose them separately, but you can skip to the next one. Perhaps, the film's extremely modest take at the box office put the studio off on filling this DVD out some more. There aren't any interviews with people who actually knew Greene nor are there any clips from his radio or TV appearances. If you can find them on YouTube, you should certainly have been able to watch them on the DVD.

FILM VALUE:
"Talk To Me" is a fine primer and introduction to the life of Petey Greene. I had never heard of the man prior to watching this film, but I learned more about him during my research on the internet. The movie starts off strong in the first half introducing us to Petey Greene and using the radio booth as a microcosm of one of the most turbulent times in American history. However, it strays too far once it turns into a story about the downfall of a star. I wished we could have seen more of Greene just speaking whether through the medium of radio or television or simply on-stage. Untapped potential makes "Talk To Me" a good film, instead of a great one.