Talk to Me

Don Cheadle does career-best work as Petey Greene, the controversial ’60s DJ who preceded the likes of Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh. When radio executive Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor) needs to inject some life into his radio waves, he hires ex-con Greene straight out of prison and throws him on the air. Greene has trouble at first, but soon rises to fame as a voice for racial equality and black pride. Cheadle is on his A-game here, portraying a character that is funny and scary. It’s never obvious what Greene, a man struggling with alcoholism, will do next. Ejiofor does well as Greene’s eventual manager and frequent combatant, a man who never quite understands why Greene is willing to throw away big-time fame. The film also works as a fun look at the inner workings of a ’60s radio station. It also stars Martin Sheen and Cedric the Entertainer.