ckmfox I watched this movie yesterday not knowing anything about it. The lead actor was unknown to me but there was some great support from the late great Michael Clarke Duncan, Luke Perry, and the gorgeous Kiele Sanchez. The story follows a failed musician and his search for his confidence to perform live on stage again, however, his drinking is seriously hampering any chances. As a result of his struggles he gets into debt with Luke Perry, and to add insult to injury he also sleeps with Perry's wife. Just as things are getting really bad in walks MCD with hope of an inheritance. Thus the road to redemption begins in a blues heavy trip across America, visiting many clubs along the way and including many blues tunes too. Much of the movie is about the trip, but when they arrive at their destination the true redemption is achieved, and the last third of the movie is very enjoyable indeed. I think most rock and blues fans will enjoy this movie of one man's struggle with his own demons, and the lead actor, who I have never seen before really carried this role off well. Luke Perry and Kiele Sanchez both had good support roles in the movie too, and Perry was underused in my opinion.

edwagreen Yes, this is definitely a story of redemption among several people in this 2010 film.A bitter drifter, a drunk, gets a visit from Michael Clarke Duncan, the latter harboring a terrible secret. Duncan tells our loser that his grandfather has died and that he should go back to Huntsville, Alabama.Not wanting to go, he has a sudden change of heart when a guy, whose wife he has fooled around with, discovers this and comes after him as well for the money he owes him. The guy is a terror and you know by picture's end he will be back to create mayhem.The film becomes one of self-introspection as the two guys travel back to Alabama. We see that they learn about life from each other.When Duncan's dark secret is revealed, our hero character controls himself from taking revenge. The men have forged a relationship.This is basically a good film with a tragic end bringing understanding and faith in the human spirit.

moderniste My dad is a huge blues fan, and when I was a very affected mod/new wave teenager in the 1980s, he would sneak me into his favorite haunts to see what I now know was some pretty legendary stuff. So when I ran across the opening credits whilst cruising Showtime, I was immediately hooked by the first of many searingly authentic blues club scenes. Obviously, the key people attached to this movie really gave a shite about this hard-to-pin-down genre of music.All throughout the film, it was the excellence of those key people that really made the movie so great. Morgan Simpson, co-writer, producer, and central actor brings a lot to this movie, and he managed to attract some heavy hitters like just about every other actor, especially Tom Skerritt and Michael Clark Duncan, and the criminally undersung Mario Van Peebles as director. There must have been a huge amount of synergy between Van Peebles and Simpson, because their movie is very fully realized, artfully shot, and brings alive the characters with amazing depth of emotion. Yes, I too cried.My favorite movies are made by guys like Polanski, Scorcese and P.T. Anderson, who totally commit to every aspect of their project, and this movie has that passion. I can see where some might find the storyline and ending, and some of the "fortune cookie" platitudes a bit trite, but I understand: this is an unabashedly sentimental film refreshingly absent of the jadedness/irony/ennui in which many indie directors overindulge.I read a review in an Austin paper in which the reviewer really savages Morgan Simpson's acting performance. She could not be more wrong. I had never seen this actor before, but after being very affected by the depth of his performance, I looked up the movie on IMDb, and saw that he was very key to the overall production of the film, which impressed me even more. And after looking at his fresh-faced photo on his bio page, I got the sense that he really inhabited his character, because he was quite physically transformed into a rather crusty, shady guy whom you really don't want to like, but end up shedding tears for.All in all, a surprising big film that also feels very dark horse. Love it.

Tony Heck "Whatever he left me I don't want it and I sure as hell ain't gonna travel 900 miles to get it." Jefferson Bailey (Simpson) is a blues player who is in serious financial trouble. When a stranger (Duncan) shows up to let him know his grandfather has died and left him something he dismisses it. When someone come to collect on his debt Bailey catches up with the stranger and decides that a trip is better then the alternative. What starts off as an escape turns into a life changing experience for all involved. This is a very good movie but the music is what really make the movie what it is. If you are a fan of the blues then this movie is made for you. The plot isn't really that original but because of the music it keeps you interested and wanting to see what happens next. About half-way through the movie get very predictable but it is still interesting enough to keep you watching. While not quite at the level of "Almost Famous" or "August Rush" this is still a music movie that is worth watching. I liked it. Overall, a good movie with great music that deserves to be seen. I give it a B.