Talk to Me

Ralph Waldo 'Petey' Greene overcame drug addiction and served a prison sentence for armed robbery before becoming one of Washington DC's most prominent media personalities in the 1960s. Through his radio talk show and television programmes he became a beacon for and a mouthpiece of the civil rights movement, a community activist who was vocal in his condemnation of poverty and racism, participating in numerous demonstrations during the height of his popularity.

Kasi Lemmons' dynamic biopic pays fitting tribute to Greene, perfectly balancing lively comedy with more serious issues, and contains a knockout soul soundtrack, touching all bases between Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come' and James Brown singing 'Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud'.

At the centre of the film is the relationship between Greene and his manager Dewey Hughes, and while Chiwetel Ejiofor is an excellent foil as Hughes, Don Cheadle's 'Petey' Greene is a terrific, show stealing turn which is part Richard Pryor, part Jesse Jackson.

Talk to Me is a moving portrait of a streetwise hustler who found nobility; a flawed hero, but a hero nonetheless.

Michael Hayden