🔗 Share this article

This film presents a remarkably odd, undeniably entertaining real-life tale from the heartland of the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for the way the plot frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, while clutching the seat in front of me with both fists.

The Unbelievable True Tale

Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from previous relationships that during the 1990s created a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation in their home state and even opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an encore.

However, life was not easy for them, and this film broods on how tough it is when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.

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 heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of home video. One could argue that the original documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements in the lives of Mike and Claire.

But that’s not how this film from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars transform the mockery into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance as a Neil Diamond impersonator, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act performing as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular iconic Cline tune that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer called Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays 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 of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been surgically removed from the account of Mike and Claire's heart-stoppingly eventful life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those qualities that the couple themselves would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it on the fringes of the music business, or for that matter succeeding in any field and within any profession.

It is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes 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.