If you haven't seen "Talk to Me," check out the trailer:

Don Cheadle headlines "Talk to Me" as Petey Greene, the outspoken prison inmate turned radio DJ who became somewhat of a political icon back in the 1960's and 70's. This is a true story...if somewhat overdramatic....but it gets the spontaneity and emotion Greene brought to the scene just perfect.

This is my favorite Don Cheadle performance. I know, I know. But what about "Hotel Rwanda?" What about "Crash?" Gotcha, but "Talk to Me" is Don's finest hour. I saw this film early on a weekday morning, knowing little to nothing about it. In moments I was wide awake, smiling ear to ear, laughing like I hadn't laughed in a long time. I can understand why Focus Features thought the movie might work as counter-programming in a Summer overcrowded with loud blockbusters. Unfortunately, that was a terrible mistake.

Instead, people looked past this movie. They never heard of it. It wasn't playing near their homes. It looks like an "art movie," one friend told me. I can assure you it's not. In fact, it's one of the most enjoyable films I've seen in some time. But I loved "Talk to Me" for one very important perfomance....that of Chiwetel Ejiofor.

The name is properly pronouced Chew-eh-tell Edge-ee-oh-four....I call him Denzel to the Second Power. In "Talk to Me," Ejiofor plays the role of Dewey Hughes, an African-American executive at a very white radio station. It was Hughes that brought Petey Greene to the airwaves, maybe by accident, but he's probably the person most responsible. Dewey is a man divided between two camps. The African-American in him stands with the people of the streets. He feels their pain with racial politics. He feels their frustration.

Yet the other part of him desperately wants to climb the corporate ladder. He'll deal with the label of "Uncle Tom" if it will get him to the top. Petey Greene will get him there. More importantly, he'll get there without selling out.

Ejiofor gets Dewey's balancing act down perfectly. We root for Dewey Hughes because we know he has a good heart. You can see it in his eyes. He doesn't look down on his own people, instead, he wants them to start looking up. Here's a short clip of Chiwetel, as Dewey, trying to get Petey onto the airwaves:

Chewitel Ejiofor is one of my favorite actors. He could be the most underrated....scratch that....underappreciated actors of our time. If it's range you're looking for, take a quick look at his work as a cross-dressing drag queen in 2005's "Kinky Boots."

"Talk to Me" is the perfect way to start off your Ejiofor viewing session....and it's my pick for DVD of the week. When you're done there, pick up a few of Chiwetel's other films: 1. Kinky Boots (2005) 2. Inside Man (2006)...co-starring Denzel Washington, how ironic. 3. Love Actually (2003).