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Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Uma Thurman, Brian Markinson, Anthony LaPaglia ... see more see more... , Gretchen Mol , Vincent Guastaferro , John Waters , Constance Schulman , Kellie Overbey , James Urbaniak , Mark Damon Johnson , Darryl Alan Reed , Rick Monday , Brad Garrett , Woody Allen , Douglas McGrath

Woody Allen immerses himself in the world of vintage jazz in this period mock-biography of a musician gifted in his art but a sad student in life. Emmet Ray (Sean Penn) is a 1930s jazz guitarist consi... read more read more...dered one of the finest musicians ever to touch a fretboard, second only to the legendary Django Reinhardt. For all the passion and sensitivity of his music, Emmet is a louse off-stage; he earned his living as a pimp before gaining fame, and he throws his money away on flashy clothes and big cars, going through women like guitar picks. He also has another charming hobby: shooting rats at the city dump. But when Emmet meets Hattie (Samantha Morton), a shy, mute woman who earns her living doing laundry, he discovers that she loves his music, and he promptly falls for her. However, his inability to be faithful, his arrogant conviction that a musician should never marry, and his belief that he can do better than Hattie eventually doom their relationship. Emmet later marries Blanche (Uma Thurman), a beautiful and refined woman with a career as an author, but she is no more interested in fidelity than he is, and in time he realizes how foolish he was to give up Hattie. Jazz guitarist Howard Alden plays Emmet's solos on the soundtrack, while several authorities on jazz discuss "Emmet's" music, including Nat Hentoff, Douglas McGrath, and one Woody Allen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

76% liked it

13,017 ratings

Critics

78% liked it

59 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Woody Allen

Release Date: December 3, 1999

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DVD Release Date: June 20, 2000

Stats: 557 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (557)

  • moonrivers
    September 26, 2011
    moonrivers
    For some art is therapy. Allen posits that the reverse also holds water, only not quite with this effort. Sean Penn is Allen's willing doppelganger here (not adopting Allen's much copied persona unlike most), a man afraid to connect emotionally to anyone. Can anyone get throug... read moreh his Maginot Line of defenses to get to the soul within? Pathos, instead of laughs, thereby infuses this supposed casual look at self-imposed solitude.
  • aliceinpunderland
    June 5, 2011
    aliceinpunderland
    Quite delightful. Samantha Morton seriously doesn't need a voice. She has a face!

    I'm a little iffy about the mockumentary aspect of this movie. For much of it, I thought Emmet Ray was a real person. Then when I learned he wasn't, I wondered why Woody tried to make the biogr... read moreaphy seem so real. He doesn't eschew mixing fantasy and reality in his other films, so why create a Django Reinhardt-esque character who worships Django Reinhardt without differentiating between the real and fictional Django Reinhardts (think Tom Baxter and Gil Shepherd in The Purple Rose of Cairo)?

    Django Reinhardt.
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    My favourite Woody Allen film. Penn is top of his game and I fell in love with Samantha Morton in this movie. Uma Thurman is not annoying either which is nice.
  • mwilliams078
    March 22, 2009
    mwilliams078
    Sweet and Lowdown is another gem from Woody Allen. Sean Penn and Uma Thurman star in this comedy about a famous jazz musician and his crazy marital and professional life. Sean Penn is very good in this movie.
  • jennifxu
    May 25, 2008
    jennifxu
    Another Woody fare which many describe as one of his "love notes," one track but beautiful. The music is stunning and Samantha Morton is adorable and soulful and magnificent. It doesn't pop out in the monolithic melodramas Woody has managed to fashion but by itself it stands up q... read moreuite well.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    March 17, 2008
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    A wonderful film. Funny, heartfelt, and unique.
  • mjgildea
    November 12, 2006
    mjgildea
    One of Woody Allen's best movies of all time. Sean Penn is incredible. I can't recommend this movie enough.
  • fb20312798
    November 21, 2010
    fb20312798
    While its central character is fictitious, "Sweet and Lowdown" serves as an effective portrayal of just about any musical artist who existed in the 30s that we only have a few recordings of and what we know of their lives is more legend than real fact.
  • michaelcorleone
    February 5, 2010
    michaelcorleone
    Amplified by an excellent soundtrack and gorgeous art direction, this is a unique installment in Woody Allen's filmography. In a lot of senses it's a straightforward comedic character study, and it works brilliantly as a showcase for one of Sean Penn's strongest performances. Dir... read moreectorially it's a departure from a lot of Allen's other work, and he makes it work very well in that regard. Seeing as he is one of the greatest film writers in history, it goes without saying that this is a well-written piece (aside from a few debatable mis-steps). Overall, it's an entertaining piece that fans of the director (and fans of Sean Penn) should check out.
  • irisheyes686
    March 14, 2009
    irisheyes686
    Weird movie...I didn't really like the documentary type stuff. It was pretty funny though at times.

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Critic Reviews

Kenneth Turan
August 15, 2002
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Droll and amusing. Full Review

Liam Lacey
March 22, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

A shallow portrait of the artist as a cad. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, At the Movies

Emmet Ray is a fictional character, but so convincing in Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown that he seems like a real chapter of jazz history we somehow overlooked. Full Review

Stanley Kauffmann
January 1, 2000
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic

There is enjoyment to be had from Sweet and Lowdown. Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum
January 1, 2000
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

A snappy, loose-limbed performance from Penn. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
January 1, 2000
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

The movie has ample delights.

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

An enjoyable diversion. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
January 1, 2000
Elizabeth Weitzman, Film.com

The movie is so confused about where it wants to go, it suffers from the same identity crisis as its protagonist.

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

This is one very tuneful labor of love. Full Review

Amy Taubin
January 1, 2000
Amy Taubin, Village Voice

Great material. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Sweet and Lowdown Trivia

  • In Sweet and Lowdown, Sean Penn plays a jazz ______.  Answer »
  • In Woody Allen's 'Sweet and Lowdown' the character Emmet Ray was the greatest guitarist second to whom?  Answer »
  • In the Woody Allen film Sweet And Lowdown, Sean Penn's character played what intrument?  Answer »
  • What do the films 'Chocolat' and 'Sweet and Lowdown' have in common?  Answer »
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