Sugar

Like many young men in the poverty stricken Dominican Republic, Miguel "Sugar" Santos dreams of using baseball as a pathway to fame, riches, and respect. He's playing for a local team affiliated with the Kansas City Knights, a fictional major league team, when he's invited to spring training, and a chance to fulfill his dream. He impresses the powers that be, enough, to be assigned to a single-A minor league team located in Bridgetown Iowa, and this town may well have been another planet for all the culture shock that this move entails. Unlike many parts of the USA, this town's first, second, and third language is English, and its only diversity on display is hair color. You sympathize with Sugar as he sinks deeper and deeper into isolation, and his portrayal by newcomer Algenis Perez Soto is both moving and effective. One scene in particular where he tries to order breakfast in his limited English is both comical and sad, and pretty much sums up his experience in this small rural town. This is an excellent film with some great performances. The baseball scenes are quite realistic, and the film movingly portrays the hope and longing that all minor league ballplayers must experience. Eventually Sugar realizes his ultimate motivation for playing the game, and like the film itself, it's a joy to behold.

Rating - 3 1/2 Stars