The many faces of Sean Penn

“Sweet and Lowdown” (1999)

Penn the Insecure Musician: It’s a good thing Emmet Ray (Penn) has his music, because he doesn’t have much else going for him. Insecure and lonely, he lashes out at the world so he doesn’t have to much worry about people liking him. Penn plays the guitar man as an angry fool who’s always trying to prove he’s the best, whether it’s by wooing the most women or making the most money on the concert circuit. When he finally realizes that he’s only been fooling himself—driving away concert promoters and the one woman (Samantha Morton) who truly loved him—it’s too late. Penn earned his second Oscar nomination for Woody Allen’s comedy/drama.