Sugar (2008)

Film: Sugar (2008)

Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Starring: Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland

I spotted this on BBC iPlayer this morning, saw it was about baseball and I pounced immediately. Being a huge baseball fan, a HBO film based on the sport led me to forget about writing my dissertation and watch Sugar instead. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's film from 2008 follows the life of Miguel 'Sugar' Santos, a brash and arrogant pitcher from the Dominican Republic looking to make his dreams come true and play pro ball in the States. He is the star baseball prospect in his community, beloved by his family and friends, and he finally shows his worth at his team's Dominican training camp and gets a chance to play in America with an invitation to Spring Training in Phoenix, Arizona. After distinguishing himself from his peers, Sugar is shipped off to Bridgetown, Iowa to show off his stuff in the minor leagues. Naturally Sugar has to face the trials and tribulations of living in another country, and he's hindered even more thanks to the little English he speaks. I don't want to spoil the story anymore, but obviously Sugar experiences his fair share of highs and lows during his time in Iowa, as any man in his position would. That is where the focus of this film is primarily based, when Sugar has to face the problems of being in an alien land, completely out of his depth yet he still has to decide what he wants in life.

This is not a simple sports movie and anyone who thinks this should give Sugar a watch before they judge it. Algenis Perez Soto is fantastic considering this was his first major role (plus you can tell he played some organised ball in his past - it adds to the authenticity of the movie). Sugar is not a particularly likeable character in the beginning, all brash and cocky about his skills, but he does grow on you as the film progresses and Soto should get the credit for this. By the end of Sugar, you are rooting for him to succeed in life, in spite of some of the decisions he makes. The supporting cast were also terrific, especially in highlighting the immense difficulties between different cultures and languages. Some of the most uncomfortable scenes in Sugar is when our guy can't understand what's going on around him, especially when the family Sugar lives with are talking to him. Yet these are also some of the best scenes, because it really helps you feel something for the character. Soto does a great job here, and thus succeeds in the job every actor should aspire to, making that crucial connection to the audience.

I don't want to go on and on about the film, but iPlayer has it on their site until Saturday the 26th so if you're bored and got nothing to watch, I highly recommend you give it a try. It's well worth the time, even if you don't like baseball.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 7.5/10

Thanks for reading.