Talk Radio

Directed by Oliver Stone, Talk Radio follows acerbic radio host Barry Champlain (Eric Bogosian) as he deals with a variety of personal and professional problems in the buildup to his show’s nationwide debut. It’s ultimately not surprising to discover that Talk Radio‘s been adapted from Bogosian’s eponymous play, as the movie, written by Stone and Bogosian, devotes the bulk of its slightly overlong running time to Barry’s in-studio exploits – with Barry’s increasingly contentious conversations with his callers certainly as inherently interesting and compelling as one might’ve anticipated. There’s little doubt, as well, that Talk Radio‘s perpetually watchable vibe is heightened by Stone’s stylish visuals and a series of top-notch performances, as, in terms of the latter, Bogosian’s often riveting work here is matched by an assortment of such first-class periphery players as Alec Baldwin, John C. McGinley, and Leslie Hope. (Michael Wincott’s minor role as a boisterous fan stands as an obvious highlight within the proceedings, ultimately.) The inclusion of a mid-movie flashback-oriented stretch effectively fleshes out Bogosian’s progressively sympathetic figure, and although the picture does suffer from a handful of palpable lulls, Talk Radio builds towards a stirring final stretch that cements its place as a solid adaptation rife with agreeable, memorable attributes.

*** out of ****