Song Sung Blue Film Review: A Neil Diamond Tribute Act Receives a Heartwarming Boost from Hollywood Courtesy of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson
Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of the American entertainment world; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for the way the narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found my eyes closed and mouth open during several crucial moments, while clutching the seat in front of me tightly with my hands.
The Unbelievable True Tale
The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from previous relationships who in the 90s created a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an encore.
But things were far from simple for the pair, and this film broods on how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.
From Documentary to Drama
The film is actually based on an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of home video. One could argue that the documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire.
Yet this is not the approach this film from director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it 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 pipes) to carry a show.
Standout Performances
Hudson likewise shines, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.
Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist named 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 is Mike’s daughter Angelina who is around the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability.
The Heart of the Story
Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those qualities which the pair personally would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it in the margins of the music industry, or indeed making it anywhere and within any profession.
This is a never-say-die story and its bright hopefulness renders it a rich holiday delight.
The film "Song Sung Blue" is out on 25 December in the US and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.
