Sweet and Lowdown is a 1999 American comedy-drama mockumentary written and directed by Woody Allen.
Plot[]
Emmet Ray is a jazz guitarist who achieved some acclaim in the 1930s with a handful of recordings for RCA Victor, but faded from public view under mysterious circumstances. Although he is a talented musician, Ray's personal life fell into shambles after his disappearance from public view. He's often late in or even absent from performances with his quintet due to heavy drinking. He spends extravagantly, and is a womanizer and a pimp. When he's not playing music or pursuing women, he shoots rats at garbage dumps and watches passing trains.
Ray idolizes famed guitarist Django Reinhardt, so much that he's said 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 initial frustration due to communication difficulties, Ray and Hattie form an affectionate and close relationship. However, Ray is convinced that a musician of his stature should never settle down with one woman. Because of this, Ray marries socialite Blanche Williams. But Williams sees Ray as a colorful example of lower-class life and a source of inspiration for her literary writing. During their marriage, Ray is tormented by nightmares and shouts out Hattie's name in his sleep.
When Williams cheats on Ray with mobster Al Torrio, Ray leaves her and finds Hattie. He assumes that she will take him back, but discovers that she is happily married and raising a family. Ray is despondent, and laments that leaving Hattie was a mistake. Woody Allen and the rest of the documentary experts remark that Ray's final compositions were legendary, finally reaching the quality of Reinhardt's.
Cast[]
- Sean Penn as Emmet Ray
- Samantha Morton as Hattie
- Anthony LaPaglia as Al Torrio
- Uma Thurman as Blanche Williams
- James Urbaniak as Henry
- John Waters as Mr. Haynes
- Gretchen Mol as Ellie
- Denis O'Hare as Jake
- Molly Price as Ann
- Brian Markinson as Bill Shields
- Tony Darrow as Ben
- Daniel Okrent as A.J. Pickman
- Brad Garrett as Joe Bedloe
- Kaili Vernoff as Gracie
- Ben Duncan as Himself
- Douglas McGrath as Himself
- Nat Hentoff as Himself
- Woody Allen as Himself