A group of jazz experts, among them Woody Allen, tell us about the life and times of Emmet Ray (Sean Penn), a legendary jazz guitarist second only to Django Reinhart.
Ray, though he fainted on both occasions he met Django, is a normally a bombastic, self-centred extrovert who was a pimp in Chicago before turning to music. Despite the ugly sides to his character, and the shabby way he treats the women in his life – notably a sweet mute played by Samantha Morton – he's transformed when he plays music.
For the third time, after Zelig and Broadway Danny Rose, Woody Allen has made a fictional biography – Emmet Ray never existed, but Sean Penn brilliantly inhabits the character. Not a pleasant character, but Allen poses the question: does the sublimeness of his art make up for his personal flaws? A great soundtrack, and fine photography by Chinese director Zhao Fei, or Raise The Red Lantern fame, help make this another Woody Allen gem.
