Song Sung Blue Review: An Musical Homage Story Receives a Heartwarming Boost from Hollywood Thanks to Jackman and Hudson
Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for how the narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, while clutching the seat in front of me with both fists.
The Unbelievable True Tale
The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s created a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into a cult hit in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an additional song.
However, life was far from simple for the pair, and this film broods on how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.
Adapting a Real Story
It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of home video. It’s fair to say that the documentary focuses more intently on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements in the lives of Mike and Claire.
Yet this is not the approach this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and looking almost like him. He is entirely believable as someone who isn’t supposed to be the major leagues but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.
Notable Acting
Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage had a thriving act as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular iconic Cline tune that this film interestingly misses out.
Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act called Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess portrays Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.
The Core Narrative
Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life experiences, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those attributes which the pair personally would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it in the margins of the music industry, or for that matter making it anywhere and in any business.
It is a never-say-die story and its bright hopefulness makes it a calorific Christmas treat.
The film "Song Sung Blue" releases on 25 December in the United States and 1 January in Australia and the UK.
