Kenneth Turan: ‘Sugar’

It’s hardly a coincidence that “Sugar” is in theaters just when baseball season is getting started. It’s set in the world of aspiring young players from the Dominican Republic trying to make it to the major leagues, and those in the know tell me it is remarkably accurate. That’s no surprise, because writer-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (“Half Nelson”) understand that authentic is the most compelling type of material to put on screen. But it would be a mistake to think of “Sugar” as only a sports movie. It’s a beautifully made film about a young man’s journey of self-discovery, about how Miguel “Sugar” Santos makes his way in the world and tries to figure out who he is meant to be.

-- Kenneth Turan