Post by Ben on Apr 2, 2009 16:03:49 GMT -7
www.apple.com/trailers/sony/sugar/
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who wrote and directed 2006's acclaimed Half-Nelson, have again teamed up on Sugar, a highly anticipated film about Dominican baseball culture. The film tells the story of Miguel “Sugar” Santos, a Dominican baseball prodigy, who, at 19, gets his big break: a shot at a professional career in the ol' US of A.
At first glance, the story has the makings of a classic rags-to-riches sports tale. Miguel is determined to trade his life of poverty for Jumbotron accolades and a shining Cadillac in the driveway. His commitment pays off, after scouts discover his formidable curveball and he is invited to prove himself at spring training. While a star in his native country, Miguel feels out of his depth on American soil, and is forced to evaluate if he has what it takes to make it in the Bigs. These elements, as aforementioned, seem typical. However, the trailer also illustrates some of the other themes the film will confront. Along with his struggles on the baseball diamond, Miguel will also have to brave the challenges of immigrant life in the states – inter racial romance, language barriers, and ethnic ignorance. In one humorous excerpt, Miguel watches in serene bemusement as the his elderly host couple lay out the rules of the house.
“No cervezas in the casa. No chicas in the bedroom.”
If Boden and Fleck approach the subject with the same social awareness as their previous work, Sugar could be a rare find indeed - simultaneously a coming of age saga, a sports fantasy, and an apt and timely analysis of the immigrant experience in our country.
Preemptively, I think this one could be out of the park.