Honeydripper (2007)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The acting in this movie is really good.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

This film is painfully slow and uninteresting. The dialog is brutal. The characters uninteresting. I have seen thousands of films, and this horrendous product should have ended the career of John Sayles. Sayles' Eight Men Out is among the most boring modern baseball films, but Honeydripper is at the very bottom of its genre.... and of all film making. There are countless good films about race relations in the southern United States, and this is not among them. Young directors and writers should watch this as how *not* to make a film. Danny Glover, Charles Dutton, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Stacey Keach, Sean Patrick Thomas, what *were* you thinking? There are always other movies to see instead of this one. See them all, then hesitate before renting Honeydripper.

In rural Alabama in 1950, Tyrone "Pinetop" Purvis is struggling to make ends meet at his club, The Honeydripper. With too many bills due, he pins all his hopes on promoting a show by the popular Guitar Sam. But when Sam doesn't turn up, Pinetop hatches a crazy scheme to run the concert anyway …Another richly observed, well written and beautifully acted period drama by Sayles, sort of a companion piece to Matewan. Its strengths are many; an interesting story with great characters - we want Pinetop to come through despite his faults - excellent photography and terrific music from that great shifting period between blues and rock and roll. Best of all is the incredibly talented cast, all of whom bring a rich individuality to their roles; I especially like Dutton and Hamilton, but contemporary bluesman Keb' Mo' pretty much steals the show as Possum, the mysterious blind geetar-picker. It's one of a few movies which successfully mixes actors and musicians in the cast, each bringing out the best in the other, and Sayles' regular composer Mason Daring's music is a enchanting mix of old standards cleverly interwoven with new material. There are many terrific scenes - Delilah swaying in the revival tent as she struggles with her faith, Pinetop's story of the servant left alone with the master's piano, Sonny singing Midnight Special in his jail cell, all the cotton-fields scenes. Artfully shot by British cameraman Dick Pope in authentic Alabama locations, this is one of those well-crafted, truly American movies, which provides a rich historical escape into a colourful and fascinating landscape. The director appears in one of his usual minor roles as the clipboard-carrying no-nonsense liquor salesman.

This is a story right out of the "Hey, kids, let's put on a show!" cliché. One implausibility piled on top of another in a "feel good"/"right will triumph" pattern that is SO OVERWHELMINGLY dominant in American movies. John Sayles has long been one of my favorite directors/screenwriters, so the foolishness of this movie came as a shock.What happened? Where has the creator of "Casa de los Babys" and "Lone Star" gone? What happened to the creator of such exhilarating plots as "Limbo" and "Passion Fish"? I can only guess that he farmed it out to one of his kids, or an intern, or something like that. This movie fits in more with the rush job of the Scorcese-produced blues films than with a Sayles project.Here is my "disclosure" statement. I have been a working musician and have spent most of my adult life in the company of musicians. This movie reveals some of the biggest complaints musicians have about their portrayal by non-musicians. The biggest is that non-musicians don't understand the role of rehearsals, individual practice and the huge amount of work and effort it takes to seem "talented." This movie is another example, and a rather extreme case at that.I also have a question for Keb Mo. Why do you sign on to so many projects that undervalue your efforts? I am thinking of the NPR Blues History radio series and now this. Don't you have more leverage than that?

Good movie to watch on the anniversary of our involvement in Korea, and a new base opens down the road to prepare troops to be sent to the war that will apparently never end. But, this movie is worth watching for the music alone. If you like blues and early rock and roll, this is the film for you.But, it isn't just about music. It is also about relations between Black and White in the 1950s South. There are some powerful performances by some powerful actors like Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, and Stacy Keach; and interesting new faces like Yaya DaCosta (Take the Lead).A good story with an great backdrop. Maybe just a little long.