Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

SquigglyCrunch Sugar follows a guy from the Dominican Republic as he plays baseball and ultimately makes it to the big leagues. Right from the get-go this is a boring movie. From the way it's shot down to the content it chooses to begin with, it really just isn't at all interesting. For the longest time this movie is a total drag to sit through. It does pick up towards the last two acts, but even then it really isn't anything worth mentioning. The acting on the part of one of the actors in particular, whose name I don't even know, is terrible. She's so cringe-inducing to watch on screen, and I really hope she hasn't gone and pursued a career in acting. The rest of the cast is mostly fine, but again nothing worth mentioning. While the story as a whole is decent, it's so poorly developed that it's hard to get invested in. This may not be a valid complaint to some, but there was way too much baseball in this movie. I know that's the central theme, but there's a difference between a movie and a baseball game, Sugar leaning closer to the latter. There's very little drama or characters of any kind in between. And no, the occasional phone call home doesn't really count, especially when it's just a conversation about sending money or how much each person misses the other. There aren't any real characters here. I will say that the one thing that the actors did right was, when two characters couldn't speak the same language, nailing the awkward silence that accompanies conversations and the way they interact. As for the directing, it was really goofy. It was all done hand- held, which is fine when it works, but the camera man kept zooming in both suddenly and randomly on the actors when they were performing menial tasks. The directing choice to zoom in on something is usually done for emphasis, but here it's used during small talk and characters doing their job. It's just a little too goofy and frankly doesn't fit. Overall Sugar starts as boring and, while it does pick up, still manages to progressively get worse. It's poorly directed, performed and written. My guess is that I'll forget this movie in the next few hours, and in the end I wouldn't recommend it.

JonMLParker In 'Sugar', writer and director duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have created a film that not only appeals to a wide audience but also plays on the heartstrings of American culture.The portrayal of The American Dream as seen through the eyes of an outsider is an incredible insight into the fragile nature of the world. Far away from home, with a bare knowledge of the language, Miguel 'Sugar' Santos is trying to make his baseball dream come true, not just for him but for his whole family.Although much of the film is subtitled, somehow this language barrier slips away and 'Sugar' becomes a mainstream American film, finally a foreign language film that appeals to the masses.Whether you're a redneck truck driver or a uptown lawyer, we can all relate to the character of Miguel, we can all understand the daily struggles of trying to make your way in life, of having a dream and fighting for it.Sugar is a film with real integrity and truth. It loses pace at times but that hardly seems to matter as Miguel Santos earns his place in the heart of the audience, a great performance from actor Algenis Perez Soto.A must watch film.

bandw If you have no knowledge of, or appreciation for, the sport of baseball, then I think you will likely not enjoy this film as much as those who do. It is more of a baseball movie than many such movies, such as "The Natural," since it plays almost like a documentary rather than the usual script of "talent, obstacles, ultimate fantastic success." I can imagine that the box office receipts for this in the United Kingdom would be about what they would be in the U.S. for a movie about cricket. In "Sugar" we follow Miguel "Sugar" Santos from a U.S. major league baseball training academy in the Dominican Republic to his move to a small city in Iowa to play minor league ball. We get to know Miguel's family and humble living conditions in the Dominican Republic and then the formidable difficulties he faces in being inserted into a foreign culture where he does not speak the language. I will never look at foreign-born baseball players the same way after having seen the discipline, arduous training, perseverance, and sacrifices they make to get where they are. And the pressure is ever-present--if you fail there are many others who can and will take your place.Casting the native Dominican non-actor Algenis Perez Soto as Miguel is a small stroke of genius. He had played some ball (as shortstop) but had to be taught how to pitch for this movie. Perez is such a natural both on and off the field that it's impossible not to be taken by him. He has a great ability to capture emotion with facial expressions. A lot of effort must have gone into the casting, since every role rings true.Sure, this film makes incisive comments about the immigrant experience in the United States, but, even if you are a baseball fan I think you will learn details you did not know about how the sport recruits many of its players and what they go through. Many are called, but few are chosen, and it's not necessarily clear sailing for the chosen.

thedrmat Don't get me wrong. I am a Dominican living in Canada, and I have had the opportunity to watch most of the films made and released in the Dominican Republic. Some of them satisfactorily good, some merely passable, some unwatchable. But the common factor here is that, for some reason, the filmmakers haven't been able so far to give the themes in this movie a transcending universal appeal.In come Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (the only film I have seen from them is HALF NELSON, for which Ryan Gosling as nominated for a Best Actor Oscar), who, by means of some interviews and notes of experiences from Dominican immigrants, were able to concoct a bittersweet drama which is nothing short of a love letter to us Dominicans, and our reality as immigrants and our die-hard passion for baseball.Despite some occasional shortcomings (like, for example, the "perfect" way Sugar's Dominican girlfriend speaks Spanish; I personally had a strong objection to this detail, since Dominicans, specially low-class ones, don't usually talk like that), the film is in all, very well achieved. You can see the genuine Dominican elements within; yet, this time around, they are there for absolutely anyone to feel, understand and even enjoy them. Other good thing was the effective way in which the film goes from briefly telling about life in our little third-world (yet warm and fun-loving) country without patronization, to a somehow exciting Sports drama, and then to a testament about the harsh reality of being an immigrant in a strange land.All the technical elements are effective and used to good effect: the non-intrusive music, the photography, the well-paced editing. And the performances are nuanced and grounded in reality. None of the Dominican actors becomes a cliché, which has been usually a dangerous thing. Newcomer Algenis Perez Soto makes a solid debut here; we root for him all the way. We can see his love for the game, as well as his underlying sense of befuddlement, amazement, sadness and occasional desperation. Also, more than worthy of mention are, in the supporting roles, Rayniel Rufino as fellow player Jorge; Kelvin Garcia as Salvador, who gets to become a key player in the plot; and, towards the end, Dominican singer Alina Vargas, in a very brief role as a restaurant attendant.In all, it is a personal joy to see that somebody was finally able, not only to make a good Dominican-oriented movie, but to also show the many good things we may have as a culture. Bravo, Mr. Fleck and Mr. Boden for your courageous effort!! 8/10.