Sugar

Miguel Santos, a.k.a. Sugar, is a Dominican pitcher struggling to make it to the big leagues and pull himself and his family out of poverty. Playing professionally at a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic, Miguel (Algenis Perez Soto) finally gets his break at age 19 when he advances to the United States' minor league system. Miguel travels from his tight-knit community to a small town in Iowa, corn country, where he and a couple of other Latin American teammates are the only Spanish-speaking people in the vicinity. As Miguel struggles with the new language and culture, despite the welcoming efforts of his host family, he is faced with an isolation he never before experienced. When his play on the mound falters, he begins examining more closely the world around him and his place within it, and ultimately questions the single-mindedness of his life's ambition. Written and directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson).

Directors:

Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck  

Cast:

Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland, Michael Gaston, Jaime Tirelli, Jose Rijo, Ann Whitney, Richard Bull, Ellary Porterfield, Alina Vargas, Kelvin Garcia, Joendy Pena 

Reviews:

Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan

The New York Times, A.O. Scott