🔗 Share this article The Song Sung Blue Film Review: A Musical Homage Act Receives a Heartwarming Boost from Hollywood Thanks to Jackman and Hudson This film presents a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining true-life story from the heartland of American showbusiness; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for the way the plot repeatedly and savagely twists similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, and was grabbing the seat in front of me with both fists. The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s formed a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an encore. But things were not easy for them, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly. Adapting a Real Story The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name created in 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied extensively on the family's personal collection of home video. One could argue that the documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s life. But that’s not how taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance 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 carry a show. Standout Performances Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing as Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie. Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown act 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 – with their developing friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm. The Heart of the Story Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and in their place Brewer substitutes those attributes which the pair personally would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music business, or for that matter making it anywhere and within any profession. It is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism renders it a calorific Christmas treat. The film "Song Sung Blue" is out December 25th in the US and January 1st in Australia and the UK.