It is welcoming to see a movie dealing with materials of rising star in a fashion of no glossy melodrama but with simple plain scenes. When some one identifies or acquires a talent in arts especially which leads to the show business, what is the aim out there? I mean what exactly is the height one might want to reach? A constant question in every one’s mind is what if they earn in doing what they love? I get that now and then. Every one aims for the stars and that is the drive to be there. True, but is some one really ready to handle the stardom? It is a nice place with attachments coming in overdoses of fame. This is the frame of mind Ralph Waldo ‘Petey’ Greene (Don Cheadle) meets at one point of the movie. “Talk to Me” is loosely based upon the life of Petey Green who was one of the most popular media person in Washington D.C during the 60s and 70s.
Quite recently while I was piling up the reviews as usual, I was thinking what if there is an opportunity for me to get into doing this full time? Sure it will be hell a lot of fun to be paid for, but is it exactly what I want? Making a movie is one such ambition too but is it the ultimate path of mine? All questions with answers as life of introspection. The reason is that seeing Petey going through that and his wants, answers and also mirrors some of the issues in it. Here is a man who was leading a life in prison and was noble enough to come out of it. And he also finds his passion and drives himself into it. With the help Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who works in the station, he also climbs into the world of Washington D.C media. Then when the time comes for the big step, the point of questions I mentioned earlier comes up. Some of them may think it as an action of a man who does not see the big picture, but for me it meant a lot. He is ready to listen to himself. His introspection is true and in the fast paced career it is the time to re-calculate the odds and seriously look into mirror to accept it.
Don Cheadle is such a nice actor that I wonder how effortlessly he moulds up in to this funny personality of truth reeking out from his mouth 24/7. The tone and the make over he has done for this role at any moment does not make it look fake. The transformation is original and the enactment is on target. Supporting him equally and quite charismatically is Chiwetel Ejiofor who cleanly strikes the chemistry with Cheadle. Especially in the scene where he plays billiards with Petey is when the tables turn over. We see the real and confident personality, Dewey. In between these two is the sleeper performance by Taraji P. Henson who comes as the lady love of Petey all along the times in despair and celebrations.
“Talk to Me” is a performance oriented movie. It involves technical details and facts to lay it but the factors to elevate it are the performances. In the industry directors are looked upon and categorized on various factors. Style and narration are the two essential things which quickly identify one. Tarantino stands for style while Scorcese is narration. Sure both have the other characteristics but they are identified for these. So when you see a good movie, the mind asks to categorize it and put a stamp on the director. And it cannot be done out here. Even Fincher came up with the “Zodiac” in a much uniformed different style of his we have seen in “Seven” or “Fight Club”. Sarah Polley’s “Away from her” gets appreciated for her directorial abilities but there is no trademark out there. Those are all very carefully and properly laid out movies with no symbols attached. True emotions and a narration so common are the elements in it that one cannot identify the director without seeing the credits. “Talk to Me” falls into it and the credit goes director Kasi Lemmons.
The above conclusion essentially means that the notice has gone far too deep into the soul of a movie in the recent days. Out here we see a man who at his cross roads in his early life took the wrong turn, Petey. He talks a lot but the experience has built him into a conscience person with the courage to talk the truth. He knows who he is and the introspection does not need education. He also knows what he wants and how much he needs the life of it. Most of the times, less is better. On the other hand, we see a well educated and experienced man who took the right turns in his early life, Dewey. He aims sky high. He seems to have been busy in preset life of the society that he forgot to take some time to find his identity. His dreams of achieving it big in show business get transformed on Petey. He does not realize what Petey wants and slowly injects himself in to the minds of him. He wants to live his life through Petey. Petey knows that and the movie shows how it gives introspection to Dewey. It might be sour but the end is good.
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