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Reviews:
Moon
High Dreams and Earth Bound Humans: Sweet
and Lowdown
by
Christian De Matteo
Super
I like Woody Allen films. That’s often an important thing to know about a person
before getting their recommendation of a Woody
Allen film. Some people like him, some people don’t.
I do.
However, this is one case where I think
that can be set aside.
The
Purple Rose of Cairo, Broadway Danny Rose,
Deconstructing Harry, these are all films
for Woody Allen fans.
Sweet
and Lowdown is a film for movie fans.
Powerful, utterly human, quirky, and unconventional
are all good words for Allen’s tribute to
the legends that so often attach themselves to
music greats.
A Jazz fan himself, Allen has scripted
and filmed the pseudo-true story of Emmett Ray
(Sean Penn, Carlito’s
Way), the second greatest Jazz guitarist
in the world.
The movie is presented like a
documentary— slightly fragmented like
educated friends were telling you all the
legends and rumors they’d heard about
someone they never knew but have studied—
and you get the majority of the life of the
eccentric, arrogant and lovable Ray.
Illustrating through the main character the
possibility and stupidity of a human being,
the movie moves along at a perfect clip,
excellent Jazz flowing along with it.
Samantha Morton plays a major role as
Haddie, Ray’s longest girlfriend, a mute
girl who adores him.
She was nominated for an Oscar for this
performance and certainly deserved it.
I defy you to not fall in love with her
and not feel like scum whenever Ray screws up.
There’s not a bad performance in the film, starting
with Sean Penn’s chameleon act.
His Emmett Ray is unlike any other
character he’s ever played, and is the
perfect likable bastard.
Nobody knows how to add bizarre
character traits real humans like Allen, and
Penn brings them to life with the utmost
believability.
Uma Thurman (Pulp
Fiction, Henry and June) also is
unrecognizable as the eternally slumming rich
girl, desperately trying to explain Ray who
feels he needs no explanation.
The movie is fun, outrageously hysterical at times
and desperately serious at others, and ends
with a power most solely serious films could
only dream of.
And yes, it’s just as powerful the second time.
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