Holstra
Boring, long, and too preachy.
SpunkySelfTwitter
It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.
Ella-May O'Brien
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
Tony Heck
"Whatever he left me I don't want it and I sure as hell ain't gonna travel 900 miles to get it." Jefferson Bailey (Simpson) is a blues player who is in serious financial trouble. When a stranger (Duncan) shows up to let him know his grandfather has died and left him something he dismisses it. When someone come to collect on his debt Bailey catches up with the stranger and decides that a trip is better then the alternative. What starts off as an escape turns into a life changing experience for all involved. This is a very good movie but the music is what really make the movie what it is. If you are a fan of the blues then this movie is made for you. The plot isn't really that original but because of the music it keeps you interested and wanting to see what happens next. About half-way through the movie get very predictable but it is still interesting enough to keep you watching. While not quite at the level of "Almost Famous" or "August Rush" this is still a music movie that is worth watching. I liked it. Overall, a good movie with great music that deserves to be seen. I give it a B.
John Raymond Peterson
After I watched the trailers, I knew I had to see this movie. I had not yet seen a Mario Van Peebles directed movie I liked until now. It helped that Michael Clarke Duncan, who has 90 movies under his belt, has a face and build that gets immediate recognition (Oscar nominated for supporting role in The Green Mile), was the co-star to Morgan Simpson. Duncan delivers a good performance. Also helpful was the supporting role by Tom Skerritt who has 150 movies under his belt and has equal face recognition. As for Morgan Simpson, who has the lead in this movie, he was completely unknown to me but I was sold on his performance. He wrote the story so he had the benefit of knowing exactly what his character was suppose to feel and why.The story has a few weak spots but they don't deter the viewer from keeping focused on all the good points. To use the film's own expression, Duncan delivers some fortune cookie wisdom, but it is no less valuable wisdom as far as I'm concerned. Even the music delivers wisdom to those who pay attention. The four IMDb users who wrote reviews (there were only 4 before mine) gave the movie pretty good ratings and their reviews all have one thing in common which I wholeheartedly agree with: The music in the movie is really good, unless you hate the blues and country styles (especially the blues). The story has in the first 75% to 80% of the movie a well planned set-up for a surprise you don't see coming and which may bring tears to some viewers with kinder hearts; one other fellow reviewer admitted experiencing just that. Thankfully, Skerritt's character made a point in the movie that you need to cry sometimes to purge the sadness that will otherwise weigh you down…and it feels better after. We all know that to be true.If you consider yourself a movie lover or one that has discriminating taste, I hesitate not in recommending it.
flickski
I saw this film when it had a showing at the Hollywood Film Festival. The cinematography and acting is wonderful. Especially the performances of Michael Clarke Duncan and Morgan Simpson. But, I was blown away by the story itself. It kept me guessing until the end. I totally got lost in the journey. It is visually a treat.Simpson takes us on an arc from the depths of what life can give you. This film was solid from beginning to end.I would highly recommend this film. I heard it is in limited release. I hope it comes back to Southern California. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Plus the soundtrack is amazing!
bev-12-635025
The gritty parts didn't pull any punches...this would be a good movie for recovering addicts. Many movies show the characters drinking heavily, but few show the consequences as vividly as in the beginning scenes. The character of Jefferson Bailey was flawed and almost disgusting, but his end of the road status was necessary to propel the plot forward. Maybe the story was too neatly tied together(finding someone and something important at the pawn shop)but I liked the characters enough to go along with the plot. I cried at the end. I cared about the characters, wanted them to overcome their pain and grow. The music was great, sets seemed like places I've been and it was good to see Michael Clarke Duncan, along with Tom Skerritt and the large cast of newer or unknown actors.
