Sweet and Lowdown

Starring:Chris Bauer, Tony Darrow, Ben Duncan, Brad Garrett, Marc Damon Johnson, Ron C. Jones, Anthony LaPaglia, Brian Markinson, Gretchen Mol, Dan Moran, Samantha Morton, Daniel Okrent, Kellie Overbey, Sean Penn, Darryl Alan Reed, Constance Shulman, Uma Thurman, James Urbaniak, John Waters
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Woody Allen makes beautiful music but only fitful comedy with his story of "the second greatest guitar player in the world." Sean Penn plays Emmett Ray, an irresponsible, womanizing swing guitar player in Depression-era America who is guided by an ego almost as large as his talent. "I'm an artist, a truly great artist," he proclaims time and time again, and when he plays, soaring into a blissed-out world of pure melodic beauty, he proves it. Samantha Morton almost steals the film as his mute girlfriend Hattie, a sweet Chaplinesque waif who loves him unconditionally, and Uma Thurman brings haughty moxie to her role as a slumming socialite and aspiring writer who's forever analyzing Emmett's peculiarities (like taking his dates to shoot rats at the city dump). The vignettelike tales are interspersed with comments by jazz aficionados and critics, but this is less a Zelig-like mockumentary than an extension of the self-absorbed portraits of Deconstructing Harry and Celebrity. The lazy pace drags at times and the script runs dry between comic centerpieces--the film screams for more of Allen's playful invention--but there's a bittersweet tenderness and an affecting vulnerability that is missing from his other recent work. Shot by Zhao Fei (The Emperor and the Assassin, Raise the Red Lantern), it's one of Allen's most gorgeous and colorful films in years, buoyed by toe-tapping music and Penn's gruffly charming performance. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Masterful.......2007-04-19

Sweet and Lowdown is a masterful film, only let down slightly by sagging in one or two places. Like most of Woody Allen's films, it is rich in comedy, albeit more subtle than some of his earlier efforts. It tells the story of Emmet Ray, the world's second best jazz guitarist in a fictional documentary style, with asides from Allen and others who comment on the protagonist's life. Jazz is one of Allen's consuming passions (as most people know, he is an accomplished clarinet player himself) and partially due to this he admits to a missing nostalgia for the 1930s, missing out on experiencing that period (Allen was born in 1935).

Great art usually comes out of the artist's most personal passions, as a result, Allen reprises the era superbly: the locations, automobiles, jazz clubs, towns and parties are recreated in glorious warmth. The dialogue is sharp, honed down and witty so it slips down like a glass of bourbon. Sean Penn is superb as Emmet, the egotistical guitarist, who plays with a sprightly, engaged look of puzzlement on his face. He cares for no one except himself, 'look, I'm not the marrying sort, it leaves me cold'. Realising that girls go for arrogant, artistically gifted men, he uses his talents to manipulate women. That is, until he meets charming mute laundress, Hattie, who captivates him with her silence. After she makes an unlikely break into Hollywood, Emmet becomes jealous. In turn he leaves her, but realises he has blown his best chance of happiness, and his relationships with other, more intellectually inquisitive women lead to a downhill spiral in his life.

This is a finely written character movie, the escapades of Emmet are brilliantly commented on by Allen, who, as ever, is sublime at parodying those wannabe tough intellectuals who pontificate on low life culture - 'The thing with these emigre stories, you never know how much is made up...' and the acting is first rate througout. Allen does a fine job in producing a film about the perils of artistic genius, which is far superior to his attempt to do the same about Celebrity, in that other lousy epoymous film of his.

Not for fans of Will Ferrell, Jack Black or Adam Sandler.......2007-03-11

You have to have more neurons firing in your frontal lobe than the average 14 year old for this one.
Some have called this a "mockumentary", but that term oversimplifies the film.
This is a love story. It's not "boy loves girl, loses girl, and then gets girl back". It's "Boy loves himself until he meets a girl ("Hattie" - the "Sweet" one) that he unwittingly loves more than himself, dumps her, gets another girl ("Blanch" - the "Lowdown" one), marries and then divorces her, and only then realizes how much he loved Hattie...and then just fades away...without her."

Just like real life, there are many hilarious moments shared by intertwining souls with wide ranging idiosyncrasies, but just like in real life, true love can be infinite and then gone in an instant. This is why the film is presented as a documentary - a "true story". The characters, the time, and the place are all arbitrary and meant to entertain you while delivering the classic tale of a love unappreciated and then lost forever.
Sometimes there isn't a "Hollywood Ending" to a love story.

is that all i can give it-5 stars?.......2006-12-26

Samantha Morton is so good in this you'll cry.
you'll laugh too so how can you beat that?
Sean Penn gives a fantastic portrayal of the worlds'
2nd best guitarist who also happens to be a jerk.
Uma Thurman is great as a writer exploring every
possible motive into human behavior.
Woody and several other talking heads give
periodical narration throughout the movie.
I saw this movie when it came out and was struck
what an excellent story it was with such superb acting.
and seeing it again recently many years later it did not
loose one bit of it's dramatic or comedic touches.
absolutely one of Woody's best!

Maybe I'm blind but I just don't see it..........2006-09-27

I just want to say that I really, really wanted to like this movie...I just couldn't bring myself to. It came on IFC the other night and since I've been on this Independent Film kick lately, that and it starred Penn, Morton and Thurman, I decided to give it a watch through. I had heard good things about it, mostly about Morton's performance as well as Penn, so I can honestly say I had high expectations. Those expectations, sadly, were not met.

First of all I want to say that Penn's performance was so overrated I was left appalled that he was even considered among Spacey, Crowe and Washington that year. Morton on the other hand did add some weight to the picture and proved that she is a commanding actress even when she says not a single word.

Penn plays fictional jazz guitarist Emmett Ray, a very conceded and irresponcible man who spent his time womanizing and obsessing over better known musician Djamgo Reinhardt. The film follows this mans life as he takes up with Hattie (Morton) a mute woman who's naïve enough to love this man and then leaves her to marry aspiring news reporter Blanche (Thurman) who is using Emmett for a story. The much underused Anthony LaPaglia and Brad Garrett make almost too-short cameos as gangsters who get involved with Emmett and Blanche.

All in all this was a very slow moving film that eventually went nowhere. Woody Allen is known as a classic director, and that maybe the case, but this is nowhere near classic. It's mockumentary style of directing is annoying since it's not funny nor interesting, and Sean Penn is just plain ridiculous (as is his character) in this over hyped film.

Acting Saves the Day.......2006-07-09

The movie doesn't really go anywhere but that's ok. Sort of a bittersweet examination of the difference between talent and morality. Just because you play a great flute doesn't mean you're a great guy. Woody Allen himself plays the flute. Autobiographical anyone? Sean Penn and Samantha Morton are spot on as the user and the used. A pleasant respite from a lot Allen's late 90's early millenium junk.

Sweet & Lowdown (El Gran Amante) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]

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Sweet & Lowdown (El Gran Amante) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]
Director: Woody Allen
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Sweet and Lowdown [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000056WCO

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Sweet and Lowdown [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004ZEFV

Sony Pictures Classics 10th Anniversary (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon / Pollock / Sweet and Lowdown / The Spanish Prisoner)

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Sony Pictures Classics 10th Anniversary (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon / Pollock / Sweet and Lowdown / The Spanish Prisoner)
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Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Sweet and Lowdown
Woody Allen makes beautiful music but only fitful comedy with his story of "the second greatest guitar player in the world." Sean Penn plays Emmett Ray, an irresponsible, womanizing swing guitar player in Depression-era America who is guided by an ego almost as large as his talent. "I'm an artist, a truly great artist," he proclaims time and time again, and when he plays, soaring into a blissed-out world of pure melodic beauty, he proves it. Samantha Morton almost steals the film as his mute girlfriend Hattie, a sweet Chaplinesque waif who loves him unconditionally, and Uma Thurman brings haughty moxie to her role as a slumming socialite and aspiring writer who's forever analyzing Emmett's peculiarities (like taking his dates to shoot rats at the city dump). The vignettelike tales are interspersed with comments by jazz aficionados and critics, but this is less a Zelig-like mockumentary than an extension of the self-absorbed portraits of Deconstructing Harry and Celebrity. The lazy pace drags at times and the script runs dry between comic centerpieces--the film screams for more of Allen's playful invention--but there's a bittersweet tenderness and an affecting vulnerability that is missing from his other recent work. Shot by Zhao Fei (The Emperor and the Assassin, Raise the Red Lantern), it's one of Allen's most gorgeous and colorful films in years, buoyed by toe-tapping music and Penn's gruffly charming performance. --Sean Axmaker

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Sweet and Lowdown [Region 2]
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Sweet and Lowdown [Region 2]

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