Song Sung Blue review – Neil Diamond tribute film gets a great treat thanks to Jackman and Hudson | film

HA stunningly bizarre and undeniably entertaining true story from the heart of the American entertainment industry; A good-natured fan favorite won’t prepare you for the way the plot twists as frequently and wildly as an unsafe ride at a fairground. In fact, I had my eyes closed and my mouth open at certain key points, and I was gripping the seat in front of me with both fists. It may also prove that Hugh Jackman truly is the greatest showman (his role here is more interesting than his bland imitation of PT Barnum) and his star Kate Hudson gives the same huge performance.

Mike and Claire Sardina, played wonderfully by Jackman and Hudson, were a married Milwaukee couple with children from previous relationships who, in the 1990s, formed a Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; They became popular in their home state and even opened for Pearl Jam, where guitarist Eddie Vedder graciously joined them on stage for an encore. But things were not easy for them, and this film highlights how difficult it can be when a bolt of bad luck strikes more than once.

It’s actually an adaptation of an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 by Greg Kohs about this strange-than-fiction world, a film that relies heavily on the couple’s family archive of home video — and it’s fair to say that the documentary focuses more on the fictitious and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s lives. But that’s not how this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reframes their story. he, Jackman and Hudson turn laughs into laughs. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, looking almost like him, and sounding almost like him; He’s completely believable as someone who’s not supposed to be in the big league but clearly has the chops (and pipe) to make a pitch. Mike is a Vietnam veteran and recovering alcoholic who insists on playing his guitar in 12-step meetings so that other people in AA will have a sense of his journey. It’s very funny when he practices singing Diamond’s Cracklin’ Rose at home in his underwear and painfully strains his quadriceps while bouncing.

Hudson is also excellent, singing herself as Claire, who before joining Mike in the world of Neil Diamond tributes had a thriving role as Patsy Cline; She is shown tying up Cline numbers although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses. Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark and Mustafa Shaker is a James Brown impersonator called The Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teenage daughter, Rachel, and King Princess plays Mike’s daughter, Angelina, around the same age – and their blossoming friendship is another endearing aspect of the film.

The sarcasm and sarcasm have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s heart-rending life stories, and instead, Brewer replaces them with qualities that the couple themselves were familiar with: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to find success on the margins of the music industry, or to make it anywhere and in any business. This is a story that can never be told, and its cheerful optimism makes it a high-calorie Christmas treat.