Sweet and Lowdown (1999)

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer (WGA):

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

26 January 2000 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Plot:

In the 1930s, fictional jazz guitarist Emmet Ray idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love with a mute.

Plot Keywords:

Jazz | Train | 1930s | Gangster | Rat

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 11 nominations

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Himself
Ben Duncan	...	Himself
Daniel Okrent	...	A.J. Pickman
Dan Moran	...	Boss
Tony Darrow	...	Ben
Chris Bauer	...	Ace - Pool Player
Sean Penn	...	Emmet Ray
Constance Shulman	...	Hazel - Hooker #1
Kellie Overbey	...	Iris - Hooker #2
Darryl Alan Reed	...	Don
Marc Damon Johnson	...	Omer
Ron C. Jones	...	Alvin (as Ron Cephas Jones)
Steve Bargonetti	...	Musician Friend
Benjamin Franklin Brown	...	Musician Friend
James Urbaniak	...	Harry

Also Known As:

Woody Allen Fall Project 1998 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some substance abuse.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Mono)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Fresh Pond Rail Yards, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Magnolia Productions

Trivia:

Woody Allen had planned an initial version of this movie (originally titled "The Jazz Baby") as his first film for United Artists. When UA insisted upon a comedy, Allen shelved the idea for nearly three decades.

Goofs:

Continuity: The food on Emmett's fork disappears.

Quotes:

Emmet Ray: This is my one day off, I want a talking girl.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in This Filthy World (2006)

Soundtrack:

I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

Hats Off To 'Hattie!'

This is a strange movie, but one made a little bit special to me because of one memorable character: "Hattie," played by Samantha Morton. What a wonderful, endearing character! The sweet look on her face alone makes this movie worth keeping.

Another huge positive for this film is the cinematography. This is beautifully shot with great colors which look all the better on DVD.

As mentioned by other reviewers, Sean Penn also does an excellent job in the lead. The shocker for me was how good a comedic touch he exhibits. Putting his general persona or politics aside, this man deserves kudos as an actor.

There is a third very different and interesting character in this movie: "Blanche," played by Uma Thurman, who portrays an amoral woman in the last part of the film. She, too, is fascinating.

So....three interesting characters, great photography AND terrific music - jazz guitar is a central part of this story - all make for a fun hour-and-a-half of entertainment.