Directors: Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden (Half Nelson)
Writers: Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden
Producers: Paul S. Mezey, Jamie Patricof, Jeremy Kipp Walker
Starring: Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland, Ellary Porterfield, Jaime Tirelli
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 120 min
It’s probably my own fault. I’ve recently discovered that avoiding too much marketing of a film is usually a good thing. Understanding the general premise and knowing some of the cast and crew involved is usually all the incentive I need to know on whether a trip to the theater is warranted or not. Going into a movie with as clean of a slate as possible generally makes for much more of an enjoyable, exciting and unexpected experience. So with baseball season just starting to get into full swing, off I went to see an indie, “farm league” version if you will, of a sports movie with the talented directing duo of Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden; the writing/directing team of 2006′s perfect Half Nelson.
So the score I give this movie, a 2 1/2 out of 5 is partially due to my ignorant personal expectations of what I thought I was going to see. I love baseball movies. In fact, I can’t really think of a baseball themed movie I have seen and not enjoyed – particularly personal, “overcoming the odds” pictures. Sure they’re cliché, but with me they tug at my emotions and work like gang-busters to inspire and instill a sense of pride at being a fan of America’s pastime. Whether it’s Robert Redford in The Natural or Dennis Quaid in The Rookie, I l-o-v-e it. Sugar, unfortunately (or fortunately as your point of view might dictate) is NOT a baseball picture. It’s an immigration story that doesn’t know which aspect of immigration it wants to tackle and so just becomes a sort of wandering bit of… (I hesitate to use the word) soullessness.
