🔗 Share this article The Song Sung Blue Film Review: A Musical Homage Story Gets a Heartwarming Boost of Movie Magic Courtesy of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson This film presents a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining real-life tale emerging from the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for the way the plot frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes and mouth open during several crucial moments, while clutching the chair ahead tightly with my hands. The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from previous relationships who in the 90s formed a kitschy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an encore. But things were far from simple for the pair, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly. From Documentary to Drama The film is actually based on an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a film that was heavily reliant on the family's personal collection of home video. One could argue that the documentary puts more emphasis on the delusional and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s life. Yet this is not the approach this film from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it 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. Standout Performances Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out. Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist named Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown performer known as 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 is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm. The Heart of the Story Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those qualities which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success on the fringes of the music business, or for that matter making it anywhere and in any business. This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes it a rich holiday delight. The film "Song Sung Blue" is out on 25 December in the US and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.