by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Kate Hudson) are not global pop superstars. They will not make a million dollars playing concerts in a year or even in a lifetime. When it comes down to it, they’re basically cover artists, glorified karaoke singers. But when they’re on that stage singing the glorious lyrics of Neil Diamond, they might as well be the biggest names in music. There is an effortless charm between these two leads. Both Jackman and Hudson exude an everyman quality that makes them quite relatable. Mike and Claire are just the parents of a blended family trying to get through the week. Money can be tight, but you know they will do whatever it takes to make the rent and take care of the kids.
But where they both truly shine is on stage before a crowd. Both of our leads have a great energy when there is a mic in their hands. One big flaw of music biopics, in my opinion, is focusing too much on the singer/band and not how they make an audience feel. Mike and Claire know how to get an audience feeling good! Seeing Jackman dance around in an Elvis-like way and watching Hudson do a charming rendition of a folk attitude gets your blood pumping. The concert scenes are the movie’s great moments because of how well the camera is used. The focus on the band members and our stars and shifting back to the audience to show how excited they are, really gets you into the moment of this concert. The quiet moments at home have some nice camera work too as they frame the everyday struggles next to the joy that this family has when they are around each other.
The story does take its time before it allows Mike and Claire to get some success. I understand that every story has a beginning, but this story didn’t need to go back to before things really started cooking for these two. The extra time spent on their past really drags this movie out longer than is required to tell a compelling story. I wouldn’t complain about it if they really had an excellent story or arc for our leads that earned it’s runtime, but this story is too simple. Mike and Claire meet, start the band, find some success, and hit it big. It is pre-explored territory. Why waste time when we can trim it up and make it easier on the audience. A general audience sees a two-and-a-half-hour runtime and are more likely to complain not rejoice. For example, there is a subplot of Mike staying sober and it has a connection to the title of the movie but ultimately it does not contribute much to the story of these two and their dream. It humanizes him but I don’t know how it really ties to the themes of dreaming big.
Ultimately I walked out of Song Sung Blue having had a better time than I thought I would. But I would have enjoyed it more if I had walked out about 45 minutes earlier. Not a bad biopic though. Watching a movie featuring regular people, no different from myself, doing what they love, is a great reminder of the simple joys in life. Whether singing along to the radio in the car or in a bar with a dozen other people, great music can get you through the day.
Rating: Liked It
Song Sung Blue is currently playing in theaters
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