Discover
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Marko Costanzo
Foley Artist -
Laura Rosenthal
Casting -
Bruce Pross
Foley Editor -
Woody Allen
Director -
Cliff Schorr
Scenic Artist -
Frank Graziadei
Sound Recordist -
David Stein
Assistant Art Director -
Sara Corrigan
Assistant Editor
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CinemaSerf 5/8/2024 11:50:08AM
Presented in a documentary style, this drama looks at the life of the fictional jazz guitarist "Emmet Ray" (Sean Penn). Now, of course, he is American so is naturally the best in the whole wide world, well second best actually, and that is testified to by frequent obsequious pieces-to-camera from purported experts and then by his own performances as he plays standards from the likes of Django Reinhardt, the masterful Stéphane Grapelli and Duke Ellington. Director Woody Allen has a penchant for this style of music, and as faux-homages go this isn't at all bad. That's really thanks to a strong contribution from Sean Penn as the frankly pretty odious character who's selfishness was probably only eclipsed by his increasing obsession with the shy mute "Hattie" (a gorgeous effort from Samantha Morton) who comes to depend on him, but might he actually come to depend on her too - despite himself? It's a great looking film with plenty of attention to detail, and it does work well at illustrating just how important it is for people to have decent anchors in their lives. The dialogue is all a bit too relentless for me with very little time to come up for air as this rattles along but it's all genuinely and uncomfortably plausible at times, too. Pity about the constant hyperbole, though - how can anyone be the best guitarist? Hmmm?
Uma Thurman
Blanche WilliamsSean Penn
Emmet RayMick O'Rourke
Holdup ManJames Urbaniak
HarrySamantha Morton
HattieBrad Garrett
Joe BedloeWoody Allen
HimselfJohn Waters
Mr. Haynes