🔗 Share this article The Song Sung Blue Review: A Musical Homage Act Gets a Sweet Treat of Movie Magic Courtesy of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson This film presents a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining true-life story from the heartland of American showbusiness; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour 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 with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the chair ahead tightly with my hands. The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from previous relationships that during the 1990s created a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an encore. But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on how tough it is when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once. Adapting a Real Story The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name created in 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. One could argue that the documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire. But that’s not how this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. He’s perfectly plausible as someone who isn’t supposed to be in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to headline a performance. Standout Performances Hudson likewise shines, doing her own singing as Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one 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. The role of Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess is Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm. The Heart of the Story Irony and satire have been surgically removed from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life stories, and in their place Brewer installs those attributes which the pair personally would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it in the margins of the music business, or indeed making it anywhere and within any profession. It is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat. Song Sung Blue releases on 25 December in the United States and January 1st in Australia and the United Kingdom.