RECOMMENDED Writer-director-editor-lyricist John Sayles may be the last of the truly independent filmmakers, putting not only his own money forward to produce the $5 million period musical “Honeydripper,” but also essentially self-distributing his epic fable about the birth of modern pop music. Sayles, his producer and partner Maggie Renzi and many of the film’s actors and musicians have appeared at premieres around the country as well, following the model of the touring rock band to create awareness for the modestly budgeted work; this may counter in part such reviews as the particularly condescending and dismissive New York Times notice. Drawing from the income he gets as a screenwriter-for-hire, Sayles has been able to make seventeen features since his debut, “Return of the Secaucus Seven,” and they’re generally of a piece: stolid, progressive-themed narratives about subcultures, enclaves and the working class, framed and cut for dialogue and performance rather than for a greater visual expressiveness. “Honeydripper” is set in Alabama in the 1950s, and Danny Glover plays Tyrone “Pine Top” Purvis, a club-owner who hopes to save the Honeydripper by allowing Sonny Blake (Gary Clark, Jr.), a younger musician, to provide entrée for the future that will be rock ‘n’ roll instead of the blues beloved by all the locals, even the non-blind musicians. “Honeydripper” is the rare attempt to portray the timelessness, for worse and for better, of the rural American South. With Lisa Gay Hamilton, Yaya DaCosta, Charles S. Dutton, Vondie Curtis Hall, Dr. Mable John and Stacy Keach. 123m. (Ray Pride)
Related Stories
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Uncanny Ally: A Review Of M3GAN "M3GAN" sells itself in its first handful of seconds in how it introduces the handiwork of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams, "Get Out") and her present product, PurrPetual Petz from Funki.
Spawn Sacrifice: A Review Of The Creator "The Creator" is richly detailed, punchy, pulpy, punkish entertainment that still has highly serious subjects in mind, without growing didactic and with substantial heart.
A Drag Getting Old: A Review Of Indiana Jones 5 In the protracted opening couple of reels, a very young, computer-crafted Harrison Ford plays a younger cultural marauder who first encounters the dull MacGuffin of the title.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
