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Sweet and Lowdown
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Wikipedia article
'Sweet and Lowdown' is a 1999 American comedy-drama mockumentary film written and directed by Woody Allen. Loosely based on Federico Fellini's film 'La Strada', the film tells the fictional story, set in the 1930s, of self-confident jazz guitarist Emmet Ray (played by Sean Penn) who falls in love with a mute woman (Samantha Morton). The film also stars Uma Thurman and Anthony LaPaglia. Like several of Allen's other films (e.g., 'Zelig'), the film is occasionally interrupted by interviews with critics and biographers like Allen, Nat Hentoff, Daniel Okrent,and Douglas McGrath, who comment on the film's plot as if the characters were real-life people.
The film received generally positive reviews upon release, with Penn and Morton receiving Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.
Plot summary
Emmet Ray is a jazz guitarist who achieved some acclaim in the 1930s with a handful of recordings for RCA Victor, but who faded from public view under mysterious circumstances. Although he is a talented musician, Ray's personal life is a shambles. He is a spendthrift, womanizer and pimp who believes that falling in love will ruin his musical career. Due to his heavy drinking, he's often late or even absent for performances with his quintet. After music, his favorite hobbies are shooting rats at garbage dumps and watching passing trains. Ray idolizes famed guitarist Django Reinhardt, and is said to have fainted in his presence and to have fled a nightclub performance with severe stage fright upon hearing a false rumor that Reinhardt was in the audience.
On a double date with his drummer, Ray meets Hattie, a shy, mute laundress. After overcoming some initial frustration due to the difficulties of communication, Ray and Hattie form an affectionate and close relationship. She accompanies him on a cross-country trip to Hollywood, where he plays in a short film; Hattie is spotted by a director and enjoys a brief screen career. However Ray is convinced that a musician of his stature should never settle down with one woman. On a whim, Ray marries socialite Blanche Williams. However, Blanche sees Ray mainly as a colorful example of lower-class life and a source of inspiration for her literary writings. She reports that Ray is tormented by nightmares and shouts out Hattie's name in his sleep.
When Blanche cheats with mobster Al Torrio, Ray leaves her and locates Hattie. He assumes that she will take him back, but discovers that she is happily married and raising a family. Afterwards, on a date with a new woman, a despondent Ray plays a melody that Hattie adored and then smashes his guitar and forlornly repeats the phrase "I made a mistake!" as his date leaves him. Woody Allen and the rest of the documentary experts remarked that Ray's final compositions were legendary, finally reaching the quality of Reinhardt's.
Cast
Production
Hot off his 1969 directing debut 'Take the Money and Run', Allen signed a contract to direct a series of films with United Artists. Told to "write what you want to write," Allen (a clarinetist and avid jazz enthusiast) wrote 'The Jazz Baby', a dramatic screenplay about a jazz musician set in the 1930s. Allen said later that the United Artists executives were "stunned ... because they had expected a comedy. [They] were very worried and told me, 'We realize that we signed a contract with you and you can do anything you want. But we want to tell you that we really don't like this.'"Bjorkman, Stig, ed. 'Woody Allen on Woody Allen: Revised Edition'. London: Faber and Faber, 1995, 2004. p. 36-7. Allen went along with United Artists, writing and directing 'Bananas' instead. In 1995, he dismissed 'The Jazz Baby' as having been "probably too ambitious."
In 1998, Allen returned to the project, rewriting the script and dubbing it 'Sweet and Lowdown'. In the role of Emmet Ray, a jazz guitarist whom Allen had originally planned to play himself, the director cast Sean Penn; Allen also considered Johnny Depp, but the actor was busy at the time.Bjorkman, Stig, ed. 'Woody Allen on Woody Allen: Revised Edition'. London: Faber and Faber, 1995, 2004. p. 34756. In regard to working with Sean Penn, who had a reputation for being difficult to work with, Allen later said, "I had no problem with him whatsoever ... He gave it his all and took direction and made contributions himself ... a tremendous actor."
'Sweet and Lowdown' was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Penn) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Morton). Morton's nomination was especially notable given that she does not utter a single word of dialogue in the film. Allen has said that he told Morton to "play the part like Harpo Marx. And she said, 'Who is Harpo Marx?' and I realized how young she was. Then I told her about him [and] she went back and saw the films." In addition to her Oscar nomination, Morton's performance was met with critical acclaim, with Salon.com critic Stephanie Zacharek saying that she "quietly explodes [the film] ... Her performance is like nothing I've seen in recent years."
'Sweet and Lowdown' was filmed entirely in New York and New JerseyDavis, Tom. [http://www.teaneck.org/virtualvillage/Armory/armory2002.html A Place For Troops, Troupes, Hoops: Teaneck Armory Still Vital] , copy of article from 'The Record (Bergen County)', January 2, 2002. Accessed June 6, 2007. but is set in the Chicago area and California.
The film was the first of Allen's that was edited by Alisa Lepselter, who has edited all of Allen's films since. Lepselter succeeded Susan E. Morse, who edited Allen's films for the previous twenty years.
It was the first of three films where Allen collaborated with Chinese cinematographer Zhao Fei. Allen had first noticed Zhao with his award-winning work on 'Raise the Red Lantern', some years earlier.
Music
The music for the film was arranged and conducted by Dick Hyman. All of the guitar solos are played by guitarist Howard Alden. Alden also coached Sean Penn on playing the guitar for his role in the film.
Additional rhythm guitarists were Bucky Pizzarelli and James Chirillo. Chirillo played rhythm guitar on the 'Sweet Georgia Brown' track where the crescent moon cable breaks while Sean Penn is riding it. Pizzarelli did all other rhythm tracks.
Soundtrack
*When Day Is Done (1926)- Written by Robert Katscher Performed by Django Reinhardt
*Clarinet Marmalade (1918) Written by Larry Shields and Henry Ragas Performed by Ted Lewis and His Orchestra
*Parlez-moi d'Amour (1930) Written by Jean Lenoir Performed by Howard Alden
*Mystery Pacific (19367) Written by Django Reinhardt and Stphane Grappelli Performed by Howard Alden, Bucky Pizzarelli and [Kelly Friesen
*Limehouse Blues (1922) Lyrics by Philip Braham Written by Douglas Furber Arranged by Dick Hyman
*It Don't Mean a Thing (1931) Lyrics by Irving Mills Written by Duke Ellington
*Out of Nowhere (1931) Lyrics by Edward Heyman Written by Johnny Green
*I'll See You in My Dreams (1924) Lyrics by Gus Kahn Written by Isham Jones
*Sweet Georgia Brown (1925) Music by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard Lyrics by Kenneth Casey
*Unfaithful Woman (1999) Written by Dick Hyman
*Shine (1910) Lyrics by Cecil Mack, Lew Brown Music by Ford Dabney
*After You've Gone (1918) Lyrics by Henry Creamer Written by Turner Layton
*I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles (1919) Lyrics by James Brockman, Nat Vincent, James Kendis Music by John W. Kellette
*There'll Be Some Changes Made (1921) Lyrics by Billy Higgins Music by W. Benton Overstreet
*Viper Mad (1937) Written by Clarence Williams (musician) and Sidney Bechet Performed by Sidney Bechet
*Indiana (1917) Written by Ballard MacDonald and James F. Hanley Performed by Red Nichols
*Aloha Oe (1908) Written by Queen Liliuokalani Performed by Dick Monday
*Abide with Me (1847) Lyrics by Henry F. Lyte Music by William H. Monk
*12th Street Rag (1919) Written by Euday L. Bowman Performed by Howard Alden
*The Peanut Vendor (1927) Written by Mose Simons English Lyrics by L. Wolfe Gilbert and Marion Sunshine
*All of Me (1931) Written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons
*Caravan (1936) Written by Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol and Irving Mills Performed by Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra
*Old Fashioned Love (1923) Music by James P. Johnson Lyrics by Cecil Mack
*Just A Gigolo (1929) Written by Irving Caesar Written by Leonello Casucci and Julius Brammer
*Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You) (1931) Lyrics by Bert Kalmar Music by Harry Ruby
*3:00 AM Blues (1999) Written by Dick Hyman
*Liebestraum No. 3 (1850) Written by Franz Liszt Performed by Django Reinhardt
*Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down (1927) Written by Ray Ludwig and Howdy Quicksell Performed by Bix Beiderbecke
*Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (1931) Lyrics by Ted Koehler, Billy Moll Music by Harry Barris
*Hot Lips (1922) Written by Henry Busse, Henry Lange and Lou Davis Performed by Henry Busse and His Orchestra
*You Were Meant for Me (1929) Lyrics by Arthur Freed Music by Nacio Herb Brown
*Avalon (1920) Written by Buddy G. DeSylva, Al Jolson and Vincent Rose Performed by Django Reinhardt
*Lulu's Back in Town (1935) Music by Harry Warren Lyrics by Al Dubin
*Sweet Sue, Just You (1928) Lyrics by Will J. Harris Music by Victor Young Performed by Howard Alden
Reception
'Sweet and Lowdown' received generally positive reviews; it currently holds a 77% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 61 reviews, with the consensus, "Critics praise Woody Allen's 'Sweet and Lowdown' for its charming, light-hearted comedy and quality acting." The film carries a 70 on Metacritic indicating generally favorable reviews.
References
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