SWEET AND LOWDOWN
Woody Allen
Woody Allen
R
Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Uma Thurman
B-
There's nothing wrong with a modest success, certainly not one as enjoyable as Woody Allen's latest, SWEET AND LOWDOWN. A charming but inconsequential work, the film is a lighthearted biography of Emmet Ray, a noted 1930's jazz guitarist, played with sweetfaced aplomb by Sean Penn. Fans of Allen's body of work won't be disappointed, but the respected director's best work - ANNIE HALL, INTERIORS, RADIO DAYS - remains separate from his more recent, less ambitious efforts.
Allen himself appears in the film, but as a documentarian; he is one of many on-screen jazz experts and enthusiasts (including Nat Hentoff and Doug McGrath) who accompany the period scenes with exaggerated stories of Emmet Ray's exploits. The narrative, however, focuses less on his musical success than on his relationships (with the mute Hattie, played by Samantha Morton, and the aristocratic Blanche, portrayed by Uma Thurman) and his ongoing paranoia with the other great guitarist of the era, Django Rheinhardt. Ray's boundless ego was at war with his artistic insecurity; his traditional sexist attitudes towards women are similarly at odds with his needs for comfort and security. It's an interesting set of contradictory impulses, and Allen's cast, led by the dynamic Penn, is more than up to the task.
Still, in the world of odd relationships that Allen has created over the last three decades, SWEET AND LOWDOWN seems quiet and tame. There's not much to make of Ray and his experiences; films about womanizers who get their comeuppance are a dime a dozen. (Even this year, films like SUMMER OF SAM, THE RED VIOLIN, and MAGNOLIA covered this subject more interestingly.) The unique elements of Ray's life center around his (literally) fainting fear of Rheinhardt, who Ray perceived as his better. But Allen seems at a loss at dramatizing this, presenting it as an odd curiousity rather than as a key to a complex and dynamic personality.
Penn's take on Ray does a fair job of disguising the Woody-like quirks written into the character. A masterful performer, Penn's stupendous performance has, thankfully, become the norm for projects he is associated with. As the dilletante Blanche, Uma Thurman illuminates the film's center with a kicky, smart turn. Ray's on-the-rebound wife, Blanche struggles to understand her husband even as he infuriates her. They make a crackerjack team. Samantha Morton is serviceable as Hattie, but her Golden Globe nomination seems to be overstating the case. (Not all actresses playing mutes deserve awards, people.)
If SWEET AND LOWDOWN isn't the full meal that Allen is capable of, it's quite a satisfying dessert. A note to Woody, though...many of your fans, however grateful for your continued output, would love another five-course dinner.
