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 Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. (Don Cheadle) to fully express himself—sometimes to outrageous effect—and "tell it like it is." With the support of his irrepressible and tempestuous girlfriend Vernell, the newly minted ex-con talks his way into an on-air radio gig. At the station, Petey becomes an iconic radio personality, surpassing even the established popularity of his fellow disc jockeys, Nighthawk and Sunny Jim. Combining biting humor with social commentary, Petey was determined to make not just himself but his community heard during an exciting and turbulent period in American history. Based on the true story. "Kasi Lemmons' movie is called Talk to Me, but what it really does is sing to you, in the argot and cadences of soul, jazz, rock and rhythm and blues." (Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun) More at www.focusfeatures.com/talktome 35mm Cinemascope
2007, color, 1 hour 58 minutes, USA