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Sweet And Lowdown
1999
Allen's pseudo-biopic about 1930's jazz guitarist Emmet Ray (Penn) is a personal tribute by the director to a period of musical history that has inspired and influenced him greatly. Penn immerses himself into the role of the boozing, womanizing Ray with his usual intensity (this time, with a comic slant). Cameos by Allen and .. Read more
| Starring | Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Uma Thurman, Anthony La Paglia |
|---|---|
| Director | Woody Allen |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Sweet And Lowdown
Allen's pseudo-biopic about 1930's jazz guitarist Emmet Ray (Penn) is a personal tribute by the director to a period of musical history that has inspired and influenced him greatly. Penn immerses himself into the role of the boozing, womanizing Ray with his usual intensity (this time, with a comic slant). Cameos by Allen and author Henton give the film a TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN feel, but it is Zhao's rich photography, as well as the solid musical sequences, that provide the film with its depth. Overall, though, this is a lighthearted effort that aims solely for the funny bone. Morton steals the show as Ray's silently suffering wife in a breakout role that should elevate her to the forefront of Hollywood actresses.
| Starring | Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Uma Thurman, Anthony La Paglia, Gretchen Mol, Vincent Guastaferro, John Waters, Brian Markinson, James Urbaniak, Woody Allen, Douglas McGrath, Nat Hentoff |
|---|---|
| Director | Woody Allen |
| Studio | SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 32 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: not available Production year: 1999 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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After the disappointing Celebrity, Woody Allen returned to form with this sparkling comedy drama about a fictional 1930s jazzman whose life only makes sense when he's playing guitar. Sean Penn stars as Emmet Ray, a kleptomaniac musical genius whose idea of a good time is to watch trains, shoot rats and seduce women. Happiness comes in a sweetly fulfilling relationship with mute innocent Hattie (Samantha Morton), though the feckless Ray is soon up to his old tricks with society gal Blanche (Uma Thurman). A host of jazz experts, including Allen himself, delivers straight-faced tributes to Ray's gift, and the costumes and production design are splendidly opulent. But it's British actress Morton who steals the show, getting her revenge after Penn breaks her heart by silently breaking ours.
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Done in the style of a biopic, this is a delighfully inventive comedy, in love with the period and its music and able to communicate that emotion to its audience; the central performances of Penn, as the musician destructive of himself and others, and Sam
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Most helpful member's review
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11 out of 11 people found this review helpful
Lets go to the dump and shoot some rats!
Cracking! A mocumentry style film about the life of fictional jazz guitarist Emmett Ray.
A fantastic comedy performance from Penn as Emmett Ray a man obsessed with his music, watching trains, shooting rats at the dump and his status as the greatest guitarist that ever lived apart from the feared and respected French Gypsy Django Reinhardt.
The film charts his colourful rise from small time pimp and kleptomaniac to the recording of the work that experts claim to be some of the best of the period. A great Woody Allen film, highly recommended. -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Interesting
Another pleasing Woody film. I get the feeling here, as with 'Small Time Crooks' and 'Celebrity' that he is not COMPLETELY pushing himself with all of his more recent efforts- however this is a very enjoyable film which manages to do with very little screen time from Woody.
A great story- the story of a pretend jazz musician and his career ups and downs, as seen through the eyes of many industry insiders (one played by woody)
The trials and tribulations of the singer seem close to the bone- i'm sure they're semi-autobiographical for Woody.
Good film -
News and features
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Whatever Happened to Woody Allen?
- 21 May 2008
He's made (at least!) a film a year since 1970, a record that's all the more remarkable when you realise that he's written and directed all of them, and starred in most. They include some of the best-loved and most quoted comedies in cinema history: Annie Hall, Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters take some beating, and that's to ignore "the early, funny ones" (Sleeper, Love and Death, Bananas); the lovely miniatures from what I consider his finest period (the early 80s gave us Broadway Danny... Read more
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