SWEET `LOWDOWN' HITS THE RIGHT NOTES.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic

``Sweet and Lowdown'' is whimsical Woody, a charming little faux biography that drolly combines a couple of Woody Allen's passions - jazz music and artistic obsession - into a delightful movie that should go a long way to erase any lingering hard feelings over last year's painful ``Celebrity'' misfire.

Allen pops up in the movie as one of the expert commentators examining the life of mythical 1930s jazz guitarist Emmet Ray (Sean Penn). (Jazz expert Nat Hentoff also makes a cameo.)

Emmet's a real piece of work: On stage, he makes beautiful music; the rest of the time, he's a selfish, cocksure lout. He's a man who loves the ladies (his favorite dates: shooting rats at the dump and watching trains), but refuses to become emotionally involved with anyone because it might compromise his art.

On a rare day off, Emmet meets a woman who improbably makes him change his mind about love (insofar as Emmet ever alters his outlook).

Her name is Hattie (Samantha Morton), a mute laundress, able to hear but not speak. In other words, she's a perfect girlfriend for the self-absorbed Emmet; he comes to love her and she him.

But Emmet keeps butting up against his credo: I'm an artist; I need to be free. Allen has explored the idea of the egotistical artist throughout his career; movies have forever been his favorite form of therapy (when he's not actually visiting the shrink himself).

Here, the autobiographical elements are out in full force for Allen aficionados to sift through and ponder.

Emmet sees himself as the world's ``second-greatest guitarist,'' forever in the shadow of gypsy great Django Reinhardt. The Woodman worships in the house of Ingmar Bergman. (He was saying ``We're not worthy'' long before Mike Myers.)

He also has a messy personal life - just like Emmet - but excuses his failings by his devotion to his work.

But you don't need to know any of this to enjoy this likable movie.

Allen has a knack for perfectly capturing earlier time periods (``Bullets Over Broadway''), and he's aided here immensely by long-time production designer Santa Loquasto, costumer Laura Cunningham Bauer and cinematographer Zhao Fei, who bathes the movie's nightclubs and shabby dives in a host of cheerful colors.

Allen fills ``Sweet and Lowdown'' with deftly executed light comedy and plenty of priceless sight gags, having great fun throughout the movie with Emmet's Django obsession.

Penn is perfect as Emmet and Morton rates as an extraordinary find, an actress who communicates on the level of silent film greats like Lillian Gish.

Uma Thurman again proves her Dietrich mettle in a wonderful supporting turn, and director John Waters has a priceless cameo.

The movie's sunny soundtrack, arranged by Dick Hyman with Howard Alden supplying the sublime guitar work, is sweet music to the ears, the best of the year. And why shouldn't it be?

``Sweet and Lowdown'' comes from the heart, a bouncy meditation on music and love that hits all the right notes with perfect style and finesse.

The facts

The film: ``Sweet and Lowdown'' (PG-13; sexual content).

The stars: Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Uma Thurman.

Behind the scenes: Written and directed by Woody Allen. Released by Sony P

Pictures Classics.

Running time: One hour, 35 minutes.

Playing: Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood; Landmark's Westside Pavilion in West Los Angeles.

Our rating: Three and one half stars.

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Photo

Photo: Sean Penn stars as jazz guitarist Emmet Ray and Samantha Morton is Hattie the mute laundress in Woody Allen's ``Sweet and Lowdown.''