Honeydripper (2007)

Did you people see the same film I saw?

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This movie got my attention right away with the music in the early scenes. But that's also where it lost me. There are only a small handful of movies about music that really capture the true essence of live music performance, and for me, this movie is ultimately not one of them. I'll say, though, that I enjoyed the movie as a whole. But knowing live music performance like I do, the "Guitar Sam" show scene left me squirming on the coach. It was far too "rock and roll" for the era, and the situation. And for a throw-together band, far too polished. Because of this, I couldn't help wondering if they have also missed the mark with their representation of life as an African American in the 1950's south-something I have NOT experienced for myself. It seemed pretty bad in the movie, but maybe it was FAR worse in reality. Like I said, I did enjoy the movie as a whole. But couldn't the band mess up ONE ending, at least?

I tuned into this one while trolling for a film and became immediately absorbed. The film interlocks several plots, as 'The Waltons' used to do -- the problem of keeping the night spot out of the hands of the criminal creditors, the issue of the unfulfilled wife (nicely mirrored by the alcoholic white woman for whom she is a servant), young love developing between the guitar player and lovely China Doll, a dispute between two cotton pickers (one a city slicker, the other a local field hand), the sheriff who, of course, is a racist but who loves un-spiced fried chicken, the inevitable tug of fundamentalist religion on the underclass of a rural town, and two waifs who end the film with a mime of the musicians they hope to be. I confess that I was stationed in southern Georgia a little after the time of this film and found my own experiences coming back vividly. It is a warm film, drawing on an ominous set of possibilities lurking behind the action, and it doesn't cheat with its interlocking happy endings. What a surprise!

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?

The songs are to die for, and really make this a great movie to see. It's a peek into the cultural heritage of the blues and gospel in America, and the deep roots of rock and roll emerging from a segregated South. It's a bit stereotyped racially. The whites are all one dimensional, unsympathetic crooks and bigoted bastards except for one cloyingly condescending alcoholic woman. The black characters offer a more realistic and well acted mix and are multidimensional and intriguing. Glover is excellent, and you are really pulling for him by the end of the movie, along with his wife who stands by his side under tremendous stress. There is a real emphasis on the positive side of a family living out tough times which makes the story compelling. The interaction between Maceo and darn near everyone else, especially the sewing woman, was hilarious and entertaining.On the downside, it was very slow to develop. The pace during the first 2/3 of the movie was downright glacial. Some of the scenes could have been cut and a few more songs thrown in instead. It was a bit hard to believe that the guitarist at the end didn't check his amp before such a critical performance. Still, these are minor points that did little to detract from an overall good movie. Anyone with an interest in music and its roots should see this movie and will enjoy it thoroughly.