Writer/director John Sayles is a good storyteller. Having authored or contributed to nearly 35 screenplays (including some Hollywood doozies, like Piranha, credited as his first) and directed 16 features, it would be fair to call him a prolific one as well. 
And while his personal projects as writer/director aren’t all brilliant, they are all well constructed, satisfying tales that can only come from someone who understands how to generate places and characters that connect with an audience. Honeydripper, set in the 19450’s deep South, where a washed up musician turned nearly washed up bar owner (Danny Glover) takes a chance on a younger version of himself in a last ditch effort to save his shirt and the respect of his family. It is minor Sayles, if you will. The story is entirely predictable, yet never dull. That’s because Sayles, like so few in his industry, knows that trying too hard to impress is a recipe for disaster. The characters he creates here are real, their motivations and words ring true, and their emotions are worth the audience’s investment. Add to that the opportunity to see life in a time a place far from your own, and there isn’t much more you could want from an evening’s entertainment.
Cinema Mishmash
A personal and random look at movies, past and present
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