Sweet and Lowdown 1999

     This film is a fictional biopic of the life of Emmett Ray.  He was the number two of the two best guitarists in the world.  The only one better was Django Reinhardt from Belgium.  Emmett met Django twice and he fainted twice.  Otherwise, Emmett was irresponsible, free-spending, arrogant, obnoxious, miserable and an alcoholic.  He had a tough time keeping gigs because he was either drunk or he didn’t show at all.  His only hobbies were watching trains and shooting rats at the dump. 

     This is good, it seems like the bio of a real person and Penn does a good job in the role plus he is actually playing the guitar.  Morton is also good as Ray’s girlfriend who cannot speak.  I loved the cars and other props of the era.  3 ½* (I liked this movie) 

      

95 min, Comedy directed by Woody Allen with Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Ben Duncan Daniel Okrent, Dan Moran, Tony Darrow, Chris Bauer, Uma Thurman.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 78% critic 82% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*.

Special Note:  Django Reinhardt toured the US with Duke Ellington in 1946.  He adapted his technique because of the loss of the use of two fingers that were burned in a caravan fire in 1928.  He played with Stephane Grappelli in the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.  I saw Dorado Schmitt with his band in person, he is from France and played with Reinhardt.  The guitar music in this film is actually by Howard Alden and he taught Penn to play.