Double Penn

America's greatest living actor (not sure about his directing yet though) had a double bill on BBC2 tonight - first, directing Jack Nicolson, and actually getting him to be restrained, in The Pledge, and then in an acting capacity in Woody Allen's, Sweet and Lowdown. The former bugs me because I really want to like it and think it is a noble attempt at a great idea, but it just doesn't work - it is too long, esp. in the 2nd hour and lacks any backbone or depth ultimately, despite trying very hard to be ambiguous. The latter is a wee gem, where Samantha Morton manages to be the best thing about it without saying a single word! Penn shines in any role he attempts (at least for the last 10 years) and here, as fictional guitar lothario, Emmet Ray, he is sublime, taking on the subtle sense of humour and pathos written in by Allen with aplomb - It's the detail: just watch his face as he plays a tune and notice how that changes as he changes as a character, wonderful stuff. Kx