Sweet and Lowdown

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Alec B The mix of a traditional narrative and documentary structure allows allows for Allen's unabashed music history nerd flag to fly and keeps the fictional material from getting too out of control. Penn and Morton give two delightful performances. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/01/24 Full Review Taylor L Samantha Morton managed to pull an Oscar nom for her role, which is all the more remarkable since she says absolutely nothing at all. Though Woody Allen does appear in it, Sweet and Lowdown is one of the writer-director's more dry comedies - a fictitious jazz guitarist in the 1930s that has both talent and arrogance in excess but who can't get out of his own way, punctuated by modern-day critical interviews about his career. The film is awash in period detail (Allen apparently is a jazz lover himself, and paid particular attention to the elements that went into the setting) and features strong performances, but it should be pointed out that fans of the director's traditional style might be a bit confused when it comes to tone; there aren't really any laugh-out-loud moments or traditional jokes, it's much more of a character-driven film about the dark side of performing arts, the ego and exploitation. Penn's take on Emmet Ray is a highlight, with everything from surface-level charm to self-deception on display as he makes his way from pool halls to dance clubs; there's also more than humor at his character's expense, as the film invests time in his relationship with Morton's Hattie and really nails home the themes about emotional honesty especially as they relate to as soulful an outlet as jazz. Only rate this slightly low out of personal taste; it's relatively reserved for a mockumentary and probably could have done with a few more over-the-top moments. (3/5) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review isla s I thought this was an amusing film, with Sean Penn playing the somewhat of a 'wise guy', quirky jazz guitarist Emmet Ray. I enjoyed it as a period drama, even though it is decidedly cheesy at times and the comedy is mostly visual, somewhat slapstick in nature. Samantha Morton is quite charming too as the very facially expressive mute lady, Hattie. Of course a film like this is very much centered on music and I enjoyed the 'bright and breezy' style of jazz music played in the background of some scenes. I prefer this to some other Woody Allen films, certainly. I quite enjoyed this film and so I'd recommend it to others, yes. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I would categorize this as a classic musical with a touch of biography... Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member Nice biopic on a man that was supposed to be a genius. (I am not into jazz but his guitar did sound amazing). Well acted especially by Penn, Morton and LaPaglia. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Though the lead performances are stunning, the film seems to be one of the less notable of Allen's, being a bit too slow and uneventful. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Sweet and Lowdown

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