Word: allen
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Emmets story is told in the form of a mock-biography, with the commentary of Allen and a few other jazz authorities interspliced between sequences of Emmets flickering Depression-era career. Allen takes a genial swipe at all of those documentaries in which scholars pose as talking heads, theorizing about their favorite historical figure. The cerebral structure of the movie draws attention to the fictional nature of the whole biographical enterprise: even if Emmet were a real figure, re-constructing his life would still be an art of grappling with, and perhaps smoothing over, the complexities of a man whose...
...Allen is lucky that his clever though slight concept is bolstered by actors who breathe an impressive amount of life into their limited characters. Sean Penn gleefully slips into Emmets skin. Stuttering, overconfident and vulnerable, Emmet is a bundle of nervous tics that Penn knows how to make believable. Emmet is, in addition to being a performance artist, a kleptomaniac, pimp and all-around heel, who somehow comes off as a nice guy despite himself. The running joke of the movie is that Emmet Ray is the second greatest jazz guitarist of his time, and the two times that Emmet...
...Groucho Marx facial expressions make her the perfect foil for Emmets self-absorbed rambling. Its so clear that the two are right for each other that when Emmet totally fails to realize the value of Hatties unconditional love, we realize just how long it has been since one of Allens films has successfully depicted this emotion. Morton makes the most of the characters obvious comic possibilities, including her voracious appetite for both sex and food but also manages to infuse her with dignity. Given the Academys recent penchant for rewarding supporting actresses in Allen films (Dianne Wiest, Mira Sorvino...
...screen. The period detail, though sumptuously photographed by Chinese cinematographer Zhao Fei, doesnt hold interest on its own. Happily, the film finds its way back again in the end when Emmet shows up outside Hatties laundry. A lovely scene between Penn and Morton in the films final reel allows Allen to hone in on his message about the emotions which drive real musical artistry...
...emotional level, but the very concept of Sweet and Lowdown, with its invented biographical framework and loosely connected scenes, works against the film burning itself in your memory. Even Penns fiery Emmet is too contained by the movies conceit to really stick with you. Perhaps its symbolic of what Allen has achieved here that Mortons Hattie is the only character who transcends the movies clever but self-limiting setup. Though Allen is traditionally known for his witty, fast-paced dialogue, youll remember her silent, expressive eyes long after everything else about Sweet and Lowdown has faded away...