Sweet Nothing (film)

Sweet Nothing is a 1995 American drama film directed by Gary Winick and starring Michael Imperioli, Mira Sorvino and Paul Calderón. The film was inspired from real-life diary pages found by the filmmakers in a Bronx apartment.

Plot
After his wife Monika gives birth to his second child, Angel goes out to celebrate. Angel’s friend Ray offers him his first hit of crack cocaine and he gets hooked on the drug. With the hesitant support of Monika, Angel decides to deal drugs for a short period to get the family out of debt and afford nice things for them. However, as Angel’s addiction grows, his involvement in dealing increases, with his family taking the toll.

Reception
Though critics were divided by the film’s story, with some calling it a "darkly filmed anti-drug public service announcement", the performances of Imperioli and Sorvino were praised. Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune commented Imperioli gives "one of the best balanced, most intelligent pieces of acting in any American film this year."

Roger Ebert gave a positive review and wrote, "In Sweet Nothing [Imperioli] shows a new maturity and command in his acting, maybe because he is given a key role that runs all the way through. He doesn't fall for the actor's temptation of making too many emotional choices; he understands that many of Angel's problems are very simple: He wants to use more drugs than he can afford. For Mira Sorvino, this is a new kind of role, and she is very good in it, as a woman who wants to hold her marriage and family together, who is willing to give her husband the benefit of the doubt, who believes more than she should, stays longer than she should, and finally finds the strength to act for herself."