Song Sung Blue Film Review: A Neil Diamond Tribute Act Gets a Sweet Treat from Hollywood Courtesy of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson
This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale from the heartland of the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for how the narrative repeatedly and savagely twists similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had my eyes closed with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the seat in front of me with both fists.
The Unbelievable True Tale
The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee with kids from previous relationships who in the 90s created a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an encore.
But things were not easy for them, 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 an existing documentary bearing the identical name created in 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a film that was extensively on the family's personal collection of home video. One could argue that the documentary puts more emphasis on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire.
Yet this is not the approach 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 looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.
Notable Acting
Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out.
Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist called 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 is Mike’s daughter Angelina who is around the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm.
The Heart of the Story
Sarcasm and mockery have been surgically removed from the account of Mike and Claire's heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and in their place Brewer installs those qualities which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success on the fringes of the music business, or indeed making it anywhere and within any profession.
This is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat.
Song Sung Blue releases on 25 December in the US and 1 January in Australia and the UK.
