Review of Sugar (2010) by Nigel F — 03 Feb 2010

Admittedly, Sugar is primarily for fans of baseball but there is a lot more on offer than America's pastime in this superb film. Sugar charts the coming of age of Miguel "Sugar" Santos from the poverty stricken streets of the Dominican Republic to the minor league baseball system of the U.

S. Midwest. The story of Sugar's ascension is fraught with problems throughout as well as many positive learning experiences for the young man. There are many fine examples of how baseball, wherever it may be played, brings forth discipline, brotherhood, and in this case opportunity.

Unfortunately, as is often the case, such attempts to make it as a professional lead to failure. To often though we stay rooted in these failed moments rather than seeing what other opportunities may be afforded us by one door closing, and it is precisely this notion of continuing on that brings such a positive note to sugar overall.

Director's Boden and Fleck do well in surveying the culture of athleticism that is preached to young men throughout Central America. Moreover, the directors succeed by using Sugar as a stand in for the too many to count stories like this coming out of Central America; many of such stories ending in tragedy and further poverty for the families back home.

This film is well worth a look.