When I'm looking for a movie with strong writing and snappy dialogue, I often reach for something by David Mamet. This spring, the writer/director is turning his eye to the boxing ring with Redbelt, the story of a martial arts instructor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who stays far away from the high-pressure competition circuit — until mysterious circumstances force him into the ring to pay off debts and Read more

As a way of depicting an important slice of history, Talk to Me is successful. As a vehicle for Don Cheadle to amaze us once again with his utter transformation, it's excellent. As a work of storytelling, however, the movie falls short. Director Kasi Lemmons is fantastic at setting up artful shots and creating scenes full of tension. But these great pieces put together somehow don't add up to a Read more

Opening this Friday July 13 in select cities, Talk to Me is one of the movies I was most looking forward to this summer. It stars the awe-inspiring Don Cheadle as well as Chiwetel Ejiofor for whom I've professed my love. Cheadle plays the real-life Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who takes over the radio airwaves during a time of social and political unrest, bringing humor and inspiration Read more

Because I've come to think of Denzel Washington as more like a sexy, sweet guy — someone you'd want as, say, the father of your kids — this trailer for American Gangster provides a bit of a jolt. In this Ridley Scott-directed project, Washington plays Frank Lucas, a loyal family man/leader of a crime ring in 1970s Harlem. It's that scary thing, not unlike Tom Hanks' character in Road to Read more

Thanks to Best Week Ever for pointing out how handsome Creed from "The Office" is in the photos from NBC's Upfronts. Thank you, Movie Blog, for telling me about Ewan McGregor and Chiwetel Ejiofor starring in a stage production of Othello near London, starting in November. So, I have a few months to plan my trip to London. Merry Swankster has a love lovely live video of Bjork performing at Read more

While on the topic of Children of Men, which comes out on DVD today, I thought I'd pay homage to an actor I love: Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays Luke. Though his character is technically a bad guy, Ejiofor's speech toward the end — delivered between rounds of bullets he aimlessly sprays out a window — makes me soften toward Luke, thinking maybe he's just trying to survive like everyone else. Read more