Official Synopsis:
From Oscar nominated director John Sayles comes an electrifying and vivid rock 'n' roll fable. When Tyrone, owner of the Honeydripper lounge, is faced with having to shut down his juke joint, his hopes rest on one man - the famous Guitar Sam. It's a make or break weekend for the Honeydripper, this better be some Saturday night! With exquisite performances by Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Stacy Keach, Mary Steenburgen and Sean Patrick Thomas; and featuring musicians Keb' Mo' and Dr. Mable John - Honeydripper is an award-winning film, full of great music and plenty of soul.
  
Our Take:
Honeydripper is an allegory for a changing America told through the change in music in the South, post-World War II, as well as the advent of the electric guitar.  The film is ripe for sub-textual analysis, much of which is done by star Danny Glover in the supplemental features.  The film itself unfortunately amounts to not much more than a couple of solid but non-engaging performances and an excellent soundtrack.  The soundtrack is a softer Southern blues than seen in the far superior Black Snake Moan, but fits Honeydripper perfectly as it is a softer movie. 

Danny Glover gives an excellent performance as an entrepreneurial bar owner who lives life by an individual code of morals.  Alabama-native John Sayles is clearly right at home in this film and his comfort with southern style and that way of life is evident in the easy ebb and flow of the film.  Unfortunately, this southern pacing makes the film drag a bit for those who prefer a more kinetic, urban style of filmmaking.

Honeydripper comes sans a commentary track, but we do get a collection of insightful interviews and a behind the scenes featurette as follows:

* Interview with Danny Glover (4 minutes)

* Interview with John Sayles (6 minutes)

* Interview with Charles S. Dutton (5 minutes)

* Interview with Maggie Renzi (4 minutes)

* Behind the Scenes (30 minutes)

Honeydripper is not a masterpiece, but it’s an entertaining film about music and adjusting to change.  This film would be a good rental and perhaps a soundtrack CD purchase.

Overall Picture:
Movie: B-
DVD: B

- Matthew Orlando
Staff Writer