Sweet Nothing

Before she won an Oscar, Mira Sorvino starred in this small but powerful movie about a guy whose seemingly perfect world comes crashing down when he enters the drug trade. Michael Imperioli, who played Spider in "Goodfellas," has a leading role here and does an outstanding job of portraying down-and-out drug dealer and user Angel, but never allows us to dislike him. Throughout his struggle we are right by Angel's side.

Even the ending is not obvious: there is no happy finale, but somehow we know he is on the long road back.

I literally looked everywhere for this movie: online, in stores, and in bargain boxes - and yet I couldn't find one copy. I finally ordered a used VHS tape from America, and was able to watch it.

I seriously don't understand why this film never went to DVD. It's a really good, decent, but terrifying movie about a normal, every day family man consumed by crack addiction. His perfect world and mind is torn apart by his drug abuse and dealing, and his family falls apart from him.

This is an early, rare gem of a movie in Michael Imperioli's career, pre-Sopranos. Mira Sorvino had just won her Oscar and is brilliant as the struggling, long suffering wife. Siskle and Ebert gave two thumbs up for the movie, and it was highly praised by everyone who had seen it at the time that it premiered. So it baffles me why it was never released.

I'm so glad I finally got to see it, however. It's a fine add to the collection of anti-drug movies, along with Trainspotting, Requiem for a dream and A Scanner Darkly.

... About SWEET NOTHING is that all the comments on this page have praised it while 174 voters have only given the movie an average rating of 5.0

My own opinion is that this is a very flawed movie . Take the opening sequence when we`re shown the fate of Angel . Think about that for a moment , as soon as the opening credits stop rolling we know what the ulitimate outcome of Angel`s life is going to be so right away there`s no surprises for the audience . This sums up what`s wrong with the movie - It`s badly written and I can give several instances :

The voice over : Very distracting and it`s not even used as exposition

Gaps missing : Angel tries the crack pipe for the first time and the story jumps via a caption " Three Years Later " . What ? Angel has been a crack fiend for three years ! Strange that there`s been absolutely no consequence of his habit within that time . Very unconvincing

Goof : Angel is a former marine but his former marine buddy refers to him as " Soldier " . Former USMC members would would refer to each other as " Marine " not " Soldier "

Sorry guys but I didn`t think much of SWEET NOTHING . It`s badly structured and not very well acted . It does make the accurate point that no one is forced to take drugs but there`s umpteen better drug movies out there

Greetings and salutations. Responding to an entry made by author. The journals were actually found in my apartment after and eviction, (these were my journals). As i have the story, from Gary Winick (RIP) some pages were faxed to him and that was how the journal was first brought to his attention. Mr. Winick (after our meeting) aided and assisted in my recovery process and we would keep in touch via phone or in person (NY meetings) until his passing.

Without Mira Sorvino, Paul Calderon and (most especially) Michael Imperioli, this would have been just the latest "Afterschool Special" edition of "Panic In Needle Park" crossed with "The Man With The Golden Arm" and a few of the seven naughty words the FCC so dislikes.

I can see why it took a couple of years (and probably Mira's Oscar) to get this movie released. The writing is uninspired. The directing is just okay. And the feel of the film is cheap, even for a low-budget indie from New York.

But the acting! Mira Sorvino shines as Monika. Paul Calderon makes Raymond's shift from good buddy to monster not only plausible but inevitable. And Michael Imperioli as Angel...he's got the chops, baby. I realize most everybody knows him as Christopher from "The Sopranos" (and he's good in that), but here he blinds us with Angel's hunger -- from needing to provide for his family right through to needing the rocky stuff.

Intended message -- "Stay away from drugs, children, or they'll ruin not only your life but the lives of those who love you."

Actual message -- "With fine actors, even leftover meatloaf can seem like prime rib."