Song Sung Blue Review: An Musical Homage Story Gets a Sweet Treat from Hollywood Courtesy of Jackman and Hudson
This film presents a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining true-life story emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for the way the plot repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had my eyes closed with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, while clutching the seat in front of me tightly with my hands.
The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story
Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee with kids from previous relationships that during the 1990s created a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an encore.
But things were far from simple for the pair, and this movie contemplates the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.
From Documentary to Drama
It is in fact adapted from a prior documentary film bearing the identical name from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied extensively on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. It’s fair to say that the documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements of Mike and Claire’s life.
But that’s not how taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into shared amusement. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as an individual not destined for the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to headline a performance.
Standout Performances
Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, even though one particular iconic Cline tune is curiously omitted from this movie.
Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer known as Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess portrays Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm.
The Heart of the Story
Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those qualities which the pair personally would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it on the fringes of the music industry, or for that matter succeeding in any field and within any profession.
It is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat.
Song Sung Blue is out on 25 December in the US and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.