Sugar *****

One of the things I love about films is it's inherent ability to transport you to another world. Sometimes it can be a fantasy world like Lord of the Rings or The Fall, but sometimes it's only a few hundred miles away in Iowa or NYC. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's new film Sugar did just that: it transported me to 3 places, seeing through the eyes of a young optimistic baseball player Miguel Santos aka "Sugar" (played by soulful newcomer Algenis Pérez Soto ). Not being much of a sports fan, I wasn't as excited about seeing the follow-up to one of my favorite films "Half Nelson" as I should be. Well, I won't underestimate the talents of Boden and Fleck again. They prove again that simple but humane story telling can illuminate any background, whether it be minor league baseball or inner city schools.

Like Half Nelson, which veered off the typical inspiring teacher in an inner city school plot, this is not just another young sports star biography. We get to see the world of young baseball hopefuls in the Dominican Republic, being "groomed" for the US Major Leagues as young horses are raised for the Kentucky Derby. Sugar is one of the better players, but it's not until he learns to master the hook-curve ball, that he gets picked to join the elite few at Spring training in AZ. The directors capture the quiet moments so well here, like when the players get drunk saying goodbye to a fellow peer, who may have been kicked out due to steroids?(foreshadowing). Or the empathic waitress in the AZ diner that gives Sugar a plate of eggs because he doesn't know what "scrambled" or "over easy" means. Or the last phone call to mom, where the banter rings so true to so many of my own calls home. I was never sure where this film was going with Sugar, but I found each step surprisingly logical. The supporting actors are all strong and convincing, but none stand out especially. It's a true ensemble piece.

In the end, Sugar isn't so much about a baseball player's rise and fall. It's about the new immigrant's experience: the departure from home and family, the adjustment to a new world and culture, and the modulation of one's expectations and dreams to reality. It's not as pretty as you would imagine, but there's enough generosity and kindness that it gives you hope.