A Man of the People

August 10th, 2007

So I noted to you in this post what I thought of the lattest black films: Who’s Your Caddy versus Talk To Me, and about the need to support the type of films you want made with your dollars.

Well, I did just that myself this past weekend and got out to see Talk To Me.

I had never heard of Petey Greene before I saw Cedric The Entertainer on the Jay Leno discussing the impending release of the film in which he co-stars as a l”ate night love” type radio dj.

I liked how the previews looked and of course the fact that it was starring one of the best and most credible actors, and a personal favorite of mine, Don Cheadle; which lead me to be immediately interested in the film. I didn’t even feel the need to look up Petey Greene to find out his story or even who he was. I thought Cedric’s explination was enough, and I could uncover the rest of the story at the theatre.

Petey Green was a convict, who was paroled early from a 10 year prison bid on armed robbery. The film starts right about where the event that leads to his early parole takes place inside the penitentiary. Flanked by his girlfriend, the hot and ever zesty Taraji P. Henson (I’m not sure how real her character is though), he makes his way to a D.C. radio station in pursuit of a job.

Taraji P. Henson of Baby Boy and Hustle & Flow fame

After a rocky reception Greene is eventually hired, mostly do to the white owned station’s black program manager Dewey Hughes, wanting to take a chance and seeing something in Greene. Well, let’s just say, Greene’s persistence helped to egg on his decision, I’ll let you see the film to see how.

The movie then takes you through the odessy that is Greene’s ground breaking career as one of the first ever shock jocks, then the t.v. host and stand up comedian. It also takes you through his up and down alcohol and drug addictions and how that threatens to ruin everything for him. Not to mention the dynamic interplay of his character with that of his girlfriend Vernell(Henson) and with Hughes, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Greene is portrayed as a controversial figure who was mostly controversial for just coming out and saying what the common man, or at least common black man was really thinking. This in turn endeared him to the people. He tinged his uncouth streetwise ideology, with Black Power politics and streaked out an activist mantra for himself as well.

But like a lot of our heroes that become our voice by speaking from a place of internal passion; that place of internal passion is where Petey Greene fought internal demons. Yes, like Marvin Gaye, Tupac and others, Greene was a tortured soul; and Cheadle does a great job of portraying that internal struggle.

Not only is Cheadle, not surprisingly again excellent; but the other two primary characters played by Henson and Ejiofor also do a very good job of giving us strong multidimensional characters that you can feed into. Likewise, Cedric the Entertainer and Martin Sheen (yes, of West Wing fame) as the radio station owner filled in great in their supporting roles.

You would think a movie about so much personal strife would be dark and maybe sterile, but to the contrary it’s actually pretty much a comedy. That’s what’s so good about this film; it mixes the comical with the dramatic – while neither being too series and without eye-bucking and flipping over furniture.

Petey Greene was a man of the people, and this was a well done film for the people. Go out and see it, it probably won’t be in theatres much longer.

Here’s a couple of little snippet of the real Petey Greenes straight forward talk and “I don’t” care antics:

Petey Greene – Hustlin Backwards

Petey Greene – How to Eat Watermelon

Popularity: 3% [?]



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4 Responses to “A Man of the People”

  1. markbey on August 11th, 2007 3:59 am | link

    My man Im feeling your site I have added you to my blogroll.

  2. howard53545 on August 11th, 2007 12:25 pm | link

    Thanks for posting! I had never heard of this dude until your post and hearng about the film. Now I would like to learn more abbut him.

  3. D. Yobachi Boswell on August 13th, 2007 3:29 am | link

    Thanks markbey, I’m going to check you out too.

  4. D. Yobachi Boswell on August 13th, 2007 4:07 am | link

    Howard, I’m glad you’re feeling it. As well as learning more about him, I hope you’ll go see the film. I can’t tell people how to spend their time or money, but we have to support quality black films, or any kind of films with our dollars if we want more of those type to be made rather than just the the normal lowest
    common denominator tripe.

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  • D. Yobachi Boswell

  • Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.

    I created this site to give new voice to socio-political issues that are in need of thoughtful consideration and redress.

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