MovieChat Forums > Talk to Me (2007) Discussion > Why is it a BLACK movie?!

Why is it a BLACK movie?!

posted 18 years ago by bj_bball-1
8 replies | jump to latest

Why can't this just be a movie. Don Cheadle is a great and underrated actor, not an underrated BLACK actor. This is a great movie. Not a great BLACK movie. If something stars a black person we have to put it in the good BLACK category, as if there's no way it can compete with a movie with a WHITE star. Movies are good or bad REGARDLESS of the colors of the actors. The actors are good or bad REGARDLESS of their race. No one calls Chuck & Larry a WHITE movie. So why it Talk To Me a BLACK movie? Whether you like the movie or not is fine. But, let's stop labeling it and other movies with BLACK stars as BLACK movies and lets just watch them with an open mind.

[–] Inspiration-BG 18 years ago

Your post is pointless and will run circles around it self with its contradictions .

http://www.inspiration-bg.com/pictures/TheGraduation

[–] bnice1984 18 years ago

I wish it was that easy man. I'm a black 23 yo living in a prodominently white city. We can't escape these BS labels, the reason I say this is because this film has been out for almost 2 weeks now and hasn't hit a single theater in my city or any surrounding area. I've been looking forward to seeing it since Reigh Over Me came out. Sucks.

[–] pookeegirl 18 years ago

I don't consider it a Black movie at all. Just goes to show how dumb I am...I thought it was just a movie I couldn't wait to see. I really don't think Don Cheadle can be in anything but a great movie, after all he's the one that makes it great!

You're right though about it's being really hard to find. I'm lucky though 'cause I live close to a theater that plays most of the best films that are out there. Ya know those hard to find, oftentimes small independent and foreign film that play at Sundance, NYC & LA.

So I don't necessarily believe it's a Black film as much as it is a smaller film produced by Mr. Cheadle without the backing and deep-pockets of a major studio.
Just like so many other of the best films I see..critically acclaimed but hard to find.

[–] kcolli11 18 years ago

Talk To Me didn't come out in Knoxville, TN until yesterday and even now it's only playing in the small "art" theater in West Knoxville. I find it so hard to believe that a movie that has been given great reviews by EVERYONE could be so limited in its release.

Besides that, I'm white, and I've never considered this to be a "black movie." It's just a film...a great film. I wouldn't be surprised if it won a ton of awards. Don Cheadle is amazing.

[–] s0612807 18 years ago

The reason why the release is so limited even though the wide release was August 3 is because Focus Features is a smaller production company, so when movies get released wide it is about 900 theaters rather than say 4000 for a bigger company like sony, Universal, etc. There is no other reason for it.

btw...AMAZING movie. one of my favorites by far. Lots of publicity mentioning Cheadle deserves an award.

[–] anthropo 18 years ago

Size of the production company doesn't even matter much anymore. There are releases from major studios still only in a couple of theaters in big cities. Part of the reason is because when a blockbuster comes out like Harry Potter, Tranformers, Bourne Ultimatum, etc. they put them in multiple theaters at the same location which leaves little room for other films especially if you're in a market with a limited amount of theaters from the jump.

[–] radioman_ 18 years ago

I just went because Don Cheadle was in it. The guy is amazing. Here, just north of NYC, it was playing in one theater on the east side of the Hudson (where I saw it) and one on the west side. There were about 15 people in the audience for a 7 PM Sunday night show. I guess everyone else went to see stuff get blown up. I can only hope this film finds a long and successful life on DVD.

[–] activista 12 years ago

@bj_bball

"Movies are good or bad REGARDLESS of the colors of the actors. The actors are good or bad REGARDLESS of their race."

THANK YOU! I don't know WHY the hell some people can't seem to get that through their heads! I also don't understand how some idiots act like it's wrong to have a movie with only a black cast dealing with black issues when damn near 99% of every film coming out of Hollywood has a mostly white cast,but since that's the norm, they don't see anything wrong with that!