Sweetwater (2023) User Reviews

Starts out about racism and becomes about changing the game.

[subxerogravity · 7/10 · 20 April 2023]

It's interesting, when I saw the poster of the movie, I recognized all the white actors in the movie but had no clue who the guy playing Sweetwater is. That tells you something about the movie and the error its projecting.

Sweetwater should have been more famous than he was, if I'm going by the movie, Jackie Robinson's fame came from the fact that he was the first to break the color barrier in athletics on a major scale. What this dude did was literally change the game. Before Sweetwater nobody was playing like Sweetwater, not in the NBA anyway. His fight seemed more about changing to rules of the game that allowed for more style and finance. At least for me as a basketball fan that was my favorite part and i wanted to see more than I got.

Yeah, it's a lot of scenes about a group of white men who seem to have the fate of one black dude in their hands, but the best part of the movie is watching Sweetwater play the game and change it. That made this movie.

A Promising Premise Hindered by Weak Execution: Sweetwater (2023) Review

[user-68-77889 · 5/10 · 15 May 2023]

Sweetwater showcases a unique blend of well-known actors, captivating locations, and meticulously crafted vehicles and props. While the production elements were undoubtedly impressive, my overall experience was marred by underwhelming acting, uninspiring cinematography, and a narrative that felt forced, often relying on guilt-tripping. More on that later.

Let's start with the positives. The film's production team spared no expense in assembling a stellar cast of accomplished actors. Their presence undoubtedly lent credibility to the project and provided a glimmer of hope for an engaging story. Additionally, the attention to detail regarding locations, vehicles, and props was commendable. Each scene felt authentic and immersive, transporting the audience to the United States in the early 50's.

However, despite these strengths, Sweetwater ultimately falls short in some critical areas. The acting performances, unfortunately, failed to live up to the talent of the cast. While they are capable actors in their own right, their delivery often felt lacking, lacking the depth and nuance required to bring their characters to life. This ultimately weakened the emotional impact of the story and left me feeling detached from the film's central conflicts.

Furthermore, the cinematography left much to be desired. The lackluster camera work and uninspired shot composition left me yearning for more visually striking scenes that could have heightened the overall viewing experience.

Another disappointment was the sound design and mix, which offered nothing particularly new or innovative. While the sound elements were technically proficient, they failed to create a memorable auditory experience. It would have been advantageous for the film to take more risks and experiment with soundscapes that could have enhanced the tension and immersion within the story.

Lastly, the narrative of Sweetwater felt overtly reliant on guilt-tripping white men, often presenting them as one-dimensional figures whose sole purpose was to shoulder the blame for historical injustices. While it's important to acknowledge and address societal issues, the film's approach felt heavy-handed and forced, detracting from the overall storytelling and character development.

I am not defending any of the actions that occurred during this time. I despise each and every form of racism. I also understand that this film could not make its point without showcasing the idiotic hierarchy of the color of one's skin, but it felt like a showcase of the moral superiority of the writers.

In conclusion, Sweetwater had promising elements, such as a star-studded cast, impressive production values, and attention to detail in creating the 50's American ambiance. However, weak acting performances, lackluster cinematography, unremarkable sound design, and a narrative that leaned heavily on guilt-tripping white people held it back from reaching its full potential. While the film may still find an audience among fans of basketball history, it ultimately left me wanting more in terms of execution and storytelling prowess.

A great and sad Biopic

[therealjaysmoke · 6/10 · 10 December 2023]

Nothing beats a good old biopic and Sweetwater is definitely one of them. Great story, great acting. I can't think of what not to like about it. The movie is about Nathaniel Clifton aka Sweetwater. The first black person to play in the NBA, well technically the second, but because of the issues surrounding it, I prefer to still consider him the first. Also the first to play for the Knicks and at the Madison Square.

The movie takes us through his time as a Harlem Globetrotter and how he got signed to the Knicks. This was set in the 50s, when segregation was still in full effect so you definitely know there's a fare amount of racism and stereotyping.

I really enjoyed seeing Eric Roberts, as well as Jeremy Piven, Richard Dreyfuss and Jim Caviezel who surprisingly played a very small role for an act of his calibre.

What the story failed to achieve was not telling us how a significant player like Sweetwater ended up spending the rest of his life driving a cab. I think the viewers deserved to know this very important aspect of Sweetwater and the system.

Give this a watch on a lazy Sunday and you won't regret it.

pretty ok biopic

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 30 December 2023]

A sports writer climbs into a Chicago taxi cab gushing about Michael Jordan. Little does he know that the driver is groundbreaking negro basketball player Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (Everett Osborne). In 1949, Nat and his Harlem Globetrotters teammates beat the all-white NBA champs, The Minneapolis Lakers. They are led by team owner and coach Abe Saperstein (Kevin Pollak). New York Knickerbockers coach Joe Lapchick (Jeremy Piven) is desperate to get Nat on his team and break the color barrier. He convinces his boss Ned Irish (Cary Elwes).

This needs a singular villain character. Sure, the villain is general racism which comes up everywhere and from all directions. The movie needs one character to encapsulate all that evil. It has elements of a good biopic, but it doesn't have the bite. It introduces the style of play argument a little too late. For me, it came out of nowhere although I guess there is that discussion in the taxi cab. It needs that childhood memory a lot sooner. It's a great story that needs to be told. Abe is a complicated personality in the story of basketball and I'm glad that the movie didn't make him too one-sided. It is still a simplistic portrayal. All in all, I love the true history aspect. The movie is pretty ok. It's an underdog sports biopic.

Some Sweet, Some Sour Water

[JayWolfgramm · 4/10 · 18 June 2023]

"Sweetwater" is based on the true events of Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, basically the first African American player to join the NBA. It is written and directed by Martin Guigui. This movie has a lot of potential for a great story, unfortunately, the film plants the seeds for a compelling narrative that it never fully harvests.

This movie has some serious pacing problems. It is about Nat Clifton joining the NBA, but we don't see an NBA game played until the 90-minute mark of a 118-minute movie. Every scene feels like it is milking it for every second of emotional impact that it could possibly have. The music swells, the camera swings, as if something of great cultural importance is being said. This happens so often it makes the audience numb to the experience. Each scene seems to last twice as long as it needs. It comes across very melodramatic at times, which can almost be unintentionally funny.

Talented actors like Jim Cavizel and Richard Dreyfuss likely were able to film all their scenes in one day. Cary Elwes does a fine job as always. Despite the fact that he is doing a cartoon voice, at least Elwes is good at doing voices.

The examples of racism throughout the movie feel over the top. As SNL would say it, the characters are "Cartoonish Super Racist". It makes it feel like a problem that is disconnected from the harsh reality that it is. People can't relate to these characters, seeing themselves in their decisions and saying to themselves, "I should avoid making those same mistakes."

The basketball action isn't shot in a very exciting manner. Sometimes basketball shots are out of frame, there a lot of cuts that make it hard to follow what's going on.

There are a lot of scenes that go nowhere. This is a movie that could have greatly benefited from a montage. Something to give the story some flow and energy.

With all those complaints out of the way, at the movie's core is a sweet and inspirational story. All the actors put in good performances, the music is nice and it's an interesting part of NBA history. It takes a good shot, but the basket does not go in.

Has heart with a lot of cheese!

[djrmc24 · 5/10 · 10 March 2024]

Sweetwater was a very interesting film as it had moments of depth and heart. Then about 60% of the film there was a lot of cheesy moments that pretty much derail the film. The story is a real life one but still in a the lense of a movie is really hollow and predictable. The only thing I did not see coming was how the film ended because I had never followed the real life story before about Sweetwater. When you watch this movie you would be asking yourself why wasn't this movie just released on lifetime instead of through Hulu. Still there were moments that I really enjoyed even though there is a major problem with the casting here. Sweetwater gets a middle of the road 5 stars out of 10.

I Never Knew!

[cubsfan-4 · 8/10 · 14 April 2023]

Most sports fans know the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. And most NBA fans know the story behind AIR - certainly Bulls and Michael Jordan fans of a certain age do. But I did NOT know the story about Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, and neither did my 87-yr. Old dad who played against the Globetrotters in his younger years.

Sweets' break into the NBA happened a mere 2-3 years after Jackie R.'s into MLB. Jackie's style of play didn't change baseball; Sweets' style of play definitely changed NBA basketball!

Not sure why there are no trailers or ads for this movie filling up our movie and TV screens, but it is an entertaining movie with a good cast, too.

*Highly recommend*

great movie learned alot good story development

[fabio-29289 · 10/10 · 15 April 2023]

I couldn't believe I didn't know about this story. I have been avid basketball fan for 40 years. It's a great story told very well. I liked how the film was shot and kudos to cinematographer. You will be entertained and better for knowing this story. Swear really was an Iconoclast and has gotten very little play for his play, if you will. I hope this kovie brings his feats, play and wisdom to the fore front. The film really keeps you entertained with some drama and lighthearted moments. I have seen other Martin guigui. The director of the movie, other films and he has a unique style of developing a story. You won't be disappointed.

The film you just need to watch!

[BekaSikharulidze · 10/10 · 13 May 2023]

Truly beautifully made film, a true story of a great sportsmanship and devoted people, who practically changed the world in their own way. This film is very inspiring and masterfully shot.

The sets, the costumes, cinematography, and the choice of cast is excellent - starting from the lead character and all the wonderful star actors we do not see too often in new movies.

One of theist important aspects in film, at least for me is the score. Practically every other scene has a theme, beautiful music in the background which makes the scenes more intense.

I definitely would recommend to watch it!!