Rating: 

The Info

Directed by: Woody Allen
Written by: Woody Allen
Starring: Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Uma Thurman, Brian Markinson, Anthony LaPaglia
Produced by: Jean Doumanian

The Nutshell

A pseudo-documentary about a fictional jazz guitarist in the 1930's.

The Review

    Woody Allen has been a jazz fan for most of his life, and Sweet and Lowdown, his new film, is as much a tribute to the jazz music of the '30s as it is a funny film. Sean Penn handles the bulk of the film as Emmett Ray, a fictional jazzman who is said to have been "the second greatest jazz guitarist in the world". Ray's story is told through a documentary featuring jazz experts familiar with his work (including Allen in a cameo). As the documentarians regale us with Emmett Ray stories, they constantly remind us that they "don't really know if this is true", since Ray's life is apparently shrouded in myth and legend more than fact. Indeed at one point different documentarians disagree over the telling of a Ray story, giving us several versions of one event. This format lets Emmett Ray be over the top by using the excuse that these are tales told over and over through the years (and you know how a story can grow when told over and over...).

    Emmett himself is a despicable man; he is constantly drinking, smoking, stealing, gambling, and sleeping around. He cares only about himself and his guitar. He freely talks about how great he is without ever being aware of how egotistical he sounds. He is obsessed with the one man jazz guitarist who is better than him; Django Reinhardt. He has strange past times, like watching trains and shooting rats, and has no friends except for his drummer. It takes, of all things, a mute woman to ground him for a time.

    Hattie, as played by the terrific Samantha Morton, would seem to be the perfect woman for Emmett. He wants to be able to talk about himself all of the time, and she can only listen. Drawn to the power of his music, Hattie is seduced by Emmett's talent, disregarding his slimier habits. Despite having no voice, Hattie is almost as expressive as Emmett; Morton uses a multitude of facial expressions and body language to keep us interested in what she is thinking. Her character comes so close to stealing Sean Penn's show (no easy feat) that when she leaves the film for a time, it noticeably lags. The lag could also be because of Allen's story itself; Ray's life is told in segments, each introduced by the documentarians, and the funniest scenes are mostly in the beginning. As we quickly get to know Ray's habits, we are intrigued as to what he will do next. As the film progresses, however, Ray's quirks become familiar and have less impact. When in the beginning he tries to ask a woman out with the pickup line "Hey, you wanna go shoot some rats?" it is hilarious and pathetic. When he asks the question for the sixth time later in the film, it is only pathetic.

    Ray's exciting and hilarious life would be nothing without the terrific work by Sean Penn. Penn has long been a critical favourite, and doesn't let us down as Ray. From the way he struts/walks, to his jerky mannerisms to the serenity on his face when he plays his guitar, Ray is fascinating. He is much like Janet McTeer's character in the recent Tumbleweeds; brash, self-centred and obnoxious, but portrayed in a way that forces you to like them. Others like Uma Thurman, Gretchen Mol and Anthony LaPaglia show up as people whose lives become entwined in Ray's to some level. While their acting is fine, their characters are uninteresting in a story that is highlighted by the romance between Ray and Hattie.

    Jazz lovers will adore this film's soundtrack. Full of classic jazz tunes, this film lovingly showcases jazz music the way The Blues Brothers showcased the blues. As a special and unbelievable extra, watch Sean Penn's hands on his guitar. While the music we hear is not actually Penn playing, he worked on perfecting the look of his playing and it shows. Penn is so into the character of Ray that you forget you are watching an actor. If only Allen had spread out the laughs a little better, this could have been one of his best films. But, even with a slowdown in laughs and an awkward serious ending, Sweet and Lowdown is still an enjoyable two hours. And of course, the music is great too.

Copyright - Tim Chandler

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