Sweet And Lowdown

So Woody Allen has put out his annual movie. Ok, so this is the one from last year and I’m just now seeing it through the glories of home rental.

This one is a kind-of documentary about the second greatest jazz guitarest in the world, Emmet Ray (Sean Penn). He is second only to the great (and real) Django Reinhart and is a legend in his own mind.

Yes, Emmet Ray is one giant ego. If it weren’t for the fact that Django sent him either in a dead faint or a flood of tears he would be the self-proclaimed greatest guitar player in the world.

Along with his ego problems come relationship problems. He meets women and doesn’t want to get caught up with them. Until he meets Hattie (Samantha Morton from Jesus’ Son), a mute girl who, at first, seems perfect for him. She can’t stop him from talking about himself!

Then he starts to fall in love and things go to hell from there.

Not a bad portrait of a major league asshole who thinks the world of himself and only sees the world as a stage for his gift.

Unfortunately it’s a Woody Allen movie, and I’ve come to expect a lot more from Woody. This should have been a great mockumentary at least as good as Zelig. (It’s actually done in the same way: lots of interviews with “experts” including Woody.) What really saves this one are the performances. Sean Penn is awesome (as always) as the man who can only stand to be with himself. He’s in the role that’s usually a Woody impression, but he doesn’t do it. He comes across as his own character, closer to Woody in Deconstructing Harry without all of the Woody mannerisms. (And it’s still much better than that one.) Kind of a Woody Allen for people who don’t like Woody Allen.

Samantha Morton, who hasn’t been in any American flicks until now, is equally good as the mute girl with the proverbial heart of gold. She’s able to hold her own and actually come out on top of a man who is in the business of holding people down.

Add to them a good supporting cast like Uma Thurman, Anthony LaPaglia and John Waters (!) and you’ve got the usual first rate cast of modern day Woody. (John Waters in a Woody Allen movie? Yes, the King Of Bad Taste in a movie by someone who prides himself on his taste. Weird, huh?)

There are some genuinely funny moments (like the moon scene which got too much exposure in the previews–classic Woody comedy right there), but it gets bogged down in Emmet’s jerk-ness. There were times where I couldn’t believe that anyone could be that much of an ass and it just wasn’t funny anymore.

But the music was great, the performances were great and the attention to detail was great. (At least it seemed like it was. I wasn’t around in the 30s, so I don’t know.)

All in all, not a bad movie, just not as good as it should have been and just a bit on the slow side. Unless you’re a Woody completist (like yours truly), go find Zelig instead. Much more interesting.