Is this Hugh Jackman & Kate Hudson vehicle worth stepping into?

Available to watch on NOW TV, Sky Store, You Tube and Apple TV

I’m very late to the party on this title, and I hope you’ll forgive this review of a film nearly a year after release, but myself and my wife watched this last night, and it’s something I felt I should talk about.

Hugh Jackman stars as Mike Sardina, a part time struggling musician and Neil Diamond tribute act. Kate Hudson stars as Claire, and together they form the ultimate tribute act called Thunder and Lightening. Throughout their relationship, they struggle to keep together their blended family, make a living out of being a Neil Diamond tribute act, and all the trials and tribulations that come with life, some of which are extremely profound.

I’m not a fan of musicals, in-fact the only musical I really enjoy is The Blues Brothers. This isn’t a musical, but I think it verges on the boundary as one. So, I avoided this film for nearly a year, until last night my wife and I agreed we should give it a go. I can happily report, we both loved this film! That isn’t to say that the film doesn’t have it’s issues.

For the most part, the way this is all stitched together can come across as a bit ‘cheesy’ at times, but you soon forgive this, purely because what you are watching is a true story, and is given it’s due diligence by the script-writers. I knew nothing about this duo until last night, and after some research, it appears the film dramatized very little.

The acting is very, very good. After the ridiculous and insulting film that is The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman really pulls out his singing voice to good effect. His character development is good, and so is Hudson’s. Together, you can feel their chemistry and it’s very palpable. Kate Hudson has an amazing singing voice, and in-case you have wondered, both actors sing all the tracks themselves! Absolutely stunning effort on both lead parts.

The real downfall to the film is the way it deals with the passage of time. The story is set over a 17 year period, but it feels like 17 months on the screen. I found this to be very jarring at times, and I scratched my head a few times wondering how so much can fit into a small time-frame.

This really is a story of love and loss, triumph over adversity, and Mike’s health issues struck a deep chord with me as someone who lives with heart disease and heart failure. I did find myself feeling quite anxious at times because of this, but this a personal issue, not one that is given to everyone watching it.

The music choices are superb, and I found myself singing along to several classics such as Sweet Caroline and others. With the wife looking at me like I was strangling a cat, I didn’t care. I had a great time with the film, and a sad time with it when the heavily emotional parts played out.

It has to be said, that this film should be, and will be a modern classic. It’s a love story that leaves you feeling heartbroken and happy all at the same time. And if you don’t find yourself shedding a tear or two, then i would be very surprised at that.

Craig Brewer directs this with real gusto, and clearly cares about the subject material as do the cast. Everything is well considered to the actual story, and I congratulate Brewer on his attention to detail.
The CGI elements are very well done, and while the effects relating to Claire are easy by todays standards, it’s still very well done.

Seriously, I can’t recommend this film enough. If you can get past some of the cheesy moments (there are only a few), then you’ll have a great time with this. Watch it with your wife, husband, girlfriend or boyfriend, and get the tissues ready! You’ll need them!

I give Song Sung Blue…

If you enjoyed this review, please do like it down below, and maybe share it with your film loving friends. You can comment on this post too, just subscribe to the site and let us know what you thought of this film. We would love to hear your thoughts.

Until the next review, “Sweeet Caroline…da da da”