Overlooked Gem now on DVD

I was not a fan of 'Half Nelson,' by the directing husband/wife team, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. The film was more of an actor showcase for Ryan Golsing, along the lines of Robert Duvall in 'The Apostle.' With 'Half Nelson,' Boden and Fleck made a low budget picture about a damaged man (isn't it always a damaged man in actor showcase films?) that earned Gosling an Oscar nomination and gave them some fleeting clout around town. I LOVE when writer/directors go the unconventional route after making a first feature that gives them a name. Boden and Fleck could've made a studio pic, but instead they focused their attentions on a movie with all unknown actors mixed with real people and shot in two different countries, five different cities in what has to be one of the most heartbreaking and authentic sports movies to come along since 'Hoop Dreams' (BTW, 'Hoop Dreams' was a documentary and this is a narrative piece).

With 'Sugar,' Boden and Fleck' have made a movie with the same authenticity as 'Maria Full of Grace.' There's a message here about the hopes and pressures foreign athletes have placed upon them to succeed yet that message is never shoved down our throat, it is only hinted at in the background. What starts off as a formulaic baseball movie becomes something much greater than the cliched genre sports picture the viewer is expecting. From the inviting colors of the Dominican Republic to the harsher uninviting tone of Phoenix and Iowa, we follow Miguel on his journey to the states and this non-actor carries the movie on his shoulders in what's easily one of the most reflective performances of the year.

The plot of the movie is simple: a baseball player from a poor family in the Dominican Republic comes to the states to work his way up from the minor league to hopefully play in the majors. This is essentially your rags to riches story that every sports movie follows, yet in 'Sugar' it never feels cliched. The film has the look and feel of a documentary and at the same time is narrative filmmaking at its finest. Boden and Fleck let the actors breath life into their scenes and by doing so you don't feel like you are watching actors, but real people in real situations.

Dobler Rating: A-

Final Thought:

The biggest compliment I can pay to 'Sugar' is I hate baseball and it's still one of my favorite films of the year. Rent this movie now and fall in love with one of the most heartfelt unpredictable sports movies possibly ever made.