Woody Allen's tale about an artist's persona...very entertaining!!

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2000)

In 1992, Woody Allen made 2 films...Shadows and Fog & Husbands and Wives.
In Shadows and Fog, the filmmaker relied mostly on atmosphere and wonderful photography. And it was great! The dialogue was very witty, and Woody's performance was comedic brilliance. 80% style...20% substance.
In Husbands and Wives, Allen picked up his camera(hand held) and pointed it towards the actors. He relies on dialogue and thought provoking elements. So 80% substance...and 20% style.
In 1999, Woody Allen realized "SWEET AND LOWDOWN".
In it, Sean Penn and Samantha Morton create fascinating characters....and they both received oscars...and golden globe nominations. They did not win....but in my opinion...Sweet and Lowdown contained the BEST acting of 1999. It was brilliant!
Woody Allen's tribute to jazz is crisp and delightful. An enchanting comedy in an era of over blown, over stuffed stuff...
And that's not all, the substance and style is almost equal for the whole film! Near the end, Allen gives us a warm, intelligent, and honest dramatic ending.
It's perfect in it's own way...