Honeydripper Review

Reviews

Sep 22nd 2008 By Total Film

The joint takes a long time to start jumping in this beautifully directed but achingly ponderous drama about a struggling barkeep (Danny Glover) in ’50s Alabama who tries to turn things around by hiring a blues legend to pack his establishment. When Guitar Sam fails to materialise it’s left to an itinerant musician (Gary Clark Jr) to step up and usher in a brave new world of electric rock’n’roll with his home-made axe. Around this central dynamic, veteran director John Sayles paints a vibrant portrait of racial and class divides in the segregated South with the elegance, wit and insight that have now become his trademarks. But as a story, Honeydripper is slower than a wounded mule, mostly due to the irrelevant secondary characters (Mary Steenburgen’s brittle belle, blind bluesman Keb’ Mo’) that clutter up the sidelines. Extras include a director’s commentary, cast interviews and an audience Q&A.