Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for how the narrative frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had my eyes closed with my jaw agape at certain key points, while clutching the seat in front of me tightly with my hands.
The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee with kids from prior unions that during the 1990s formed a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an additional song.
However, life was not easy for them, and this movie contemplates the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.
The film is actually based on a prior documentary film of the same title from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say that the documentary puts more emphasis on the delusional and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s life.
But that’s not how taken by this movie from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars transform the mockery into shared amusement. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. 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.
Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage had a thriving act performing as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out.
Actor Michael Imperioli portrays 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 teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess portrays Mike's daughter Angelina who is around the same age – with their developing friendship serving as another subtle element of the film’s likability.
Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those attributes which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it on the fringes of the music industry, or indeed making it anywhere and within any profession.
This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its bright hopefulness renders it a calorific Christmas treat.
The film "Song Sung Blue" releases on 25 December in the United States and January 1st in Australia and the United Kingdom.
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