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Sweet and Lowdown (4-Sep-1999)
Director: Woody Allen Writer: Woody Allen Keywords: Drama, Comedy, Mockumentary
REVIEWS Review by Walter Frith (posted on 9-Jun-2007) 'Sweet and Lowdown' is one of those films from a cinematic genius where you don't
need the credits to tell you who's directing it. You could blindfold
someone throughout the opening credits and take the blindfold off and
while watching it, know that it's being directed by Woody Allen. There
is a bit of a cheat to this theory as Allen himself appears in a visual
narration along with others to discuss the film's main character but
you would still know it's a Woody Allen film without it and they say a
great director can see a finished film in his head and Allen is one of
those great directors. Sean Penn, a remarkably under rated actor and
former best actor Oscar nominee for 'Dead Man Walking' in 1995, gives a
grand performance from a rather cliched (but yet entertaining) script
by Allen. Penn plays Emmet Ray, a little known jazz guitarist during
the 1930's who was rumoured to be second best in the world and some
actually thought he WAS #1. He drinks, he can't handle money, he pimps,
he womanizes and has all of those typical flaws that is usually
associated with genius in a Hollywood film. I have my doubts about this
theory on the part of many film makers. They say Mozart died of a
serious illness such as pneumonia, a high fever or the flu, yet 1984's
'Amadeus' chose to show that he died in much the same manner as Elvis
Presley, presumably heart failure brought on by being full of drugs and
from severe exhaustion. Emmet's idol is Django Reinhardt, considered
the best jazz guitarist in the world by most and Emmet actually has
dizzy spells, is capable of fainting and/or becoming ill when he's in
the presence of this man. This is made very clear early in the film and
'Sweet and Lowdown has a wonderful rhythm to it that captures the
period it is displaying just perfectly. As we progress into the first
half hour or so, Emmet is making the rounds, playing from club to club,
generating controversy and trying to spice up his stage act anyway he
can. He creates a quarter shaped moon as a prop in which he will attach
a seat and be lowered down on during the beginning of his act. It's a
disaster on its first try and is never used again. Emmet meets Hattie
(Samantha Morton), a mute girl with a heart of gold. She does laundry
for a living, wears baggy clothes and big shoes and is about as
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