leonblackwood Review: I really enjoyed this movie. Sean Penn really put in a brilliant performance along with the other actors who contributed into making this movie a great watch. Throughout the movie you see people telling there own stories about the talented Emmet Ray, including Woody Allen who had wrote and directed this movie extremely well. I hadn't heard of this talented guitarist before watching this film so I found this movie interesting and enjoyable. In the film, Emmet Ray was a completely different person when he was playing his guitar to when he was womanising and breaking hearts. Mixed with his outrageous spending habits and his addiction to stealing, there is enough drama throughout the movie to keep you entertained. The main shocking aspect to the film has to be Sean Penn's guitar playing. Woody Allen made a point of showing the audience that it was actually Sean Penn playing the guitar so I have to tip my hat to Penn for learning such a difficult, unique way of playing the instrument. Anyway, if you know of Emmet Ray then its definitely worth a watch and its also worth watching just for entertainment. Watchable!  Round-Up: Emmet Ray really did have a weird and wonderful life. From dating a mute, falling into a house with loads of cash and marrying a lady who he didn't really know, he really lived each day as it comes. His random unpredictable lifestyle made everyone around him wonder if he would have been a better guitarist if he got his life together, but he never thought that he had a problem. He was a very cocky individual that had his head in the stars, which is why the concept for the film was so good. Sean Penn really did play his role well along with Samantha Morton who played the mute convincingly. The only thing is that you don't really know what truly happened in some of the scenes because his life was documented. People throughout the movie are using hearsay more than evidence about the mans life, which is made obvious when you hear there stories about the man. Anyway, enough said, watch the film.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $4.2millionI recommend this movie to people who are into there Woody Allen movies which follows events in Emmet Rays life, who was a talented guitarist with personal issues. 7/10

tobias_681 In the core of this movie is the fictive character of Emmet Ray who says of himself that he is the 2nd best guitarist in the world right after Django Reinhardt (who actually lived). The movie tackles some other subjects but focuses on Emmet and his problems. It works quite well because Sean Penn gives a terrific performance. The movie also portrays the 30's quite well and it got some good cinematography (like most of Woody's movies).Woody pays homage to Bergman's The Passion of Anna with the interviews he uses to narrate some of the story and express some thoughts from another point of view. The interviews are a very minor part of the movie, but a fun (and unique) little element. The movie is also a homage to Fellini's La Strada. The 2 main characters in Sweet and Lowdown resemble the two main characters in La Strada so if you enjoyed Sweet and Lowdown you might find these two movies interesting (it probably also works the other way around).If you haven't seen it yet here's my conclusion: It's not a masterpiece (far from), but it's a good movie that should especially be a treat for musicians, other artists and Allen or Penn fans. If you like character drama and don't mind the comedic touch this is a movie for you. If you're not that interested in character dramas you won't hate it but it's not a movie I would highly recommend to you.

namashi_1 Mr.Cinema aka Woody Allen, Emerges a WINNER yet again with his 1999 Cinematic Delight 'Sweet and Lowdown'. A Highly Entertaining & Hilarious Film, that also packs in tremendous performances.'Sweet and Lowdown' Synopsis: In the 1930s, fictional jazz guitarist Emmet Ray idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love with a mute.'Sweet and Lowdown' explores Emmet Ray's Journey, beautifully. Its Funny & Very Entertaining. Allen's Writing & Direction, both, are Delightful. The Master Storyteller Emergers a Winner yet again with 'Sweet and Lowdown'. Cinematography is good. Editing & Art Design, are perfect.Performance-Wise: Sean Penn is Tremendous as Emmet Ray. Like Always, The Legendary Actor gives his all & shines from start to end. Samantha Morton is fantastic. She delivers a career best performance in here. Uma Thurman is fluffy in a cameo, while Anthony LaPaglia is impressive.On the whole, 'Sweet and Lowdown' is a must see. Woody Allen is Mr.Cinema! The One & Only!

evanston_dad Woody Allen's fictionalized "documentary" about a famous jazz guitarist's rise and fall in Depression-era America.This plays out like one of those biopics about famous musicians that all blend into one another because of their sameness ("Ray," "Walk the Line"), the difference here being that Sean Penn's Emmet Ray is a fictional creation, and Allen is lampooning the very conventions that make those other movies so boring.Penn displays a gift for comedy he hadn't exercised since "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," while Samantha Morton made her first major appearance in front of movie audiences as his mute, long-suffering and ever-dependable wife.This isn't one of my favorite Allen comedies, but it's a pretty good movie.Grade: B