🔗 Share this article

This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of the American entertainment world; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for the way the plot repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had myself shutting my eyes and mouth open during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the seat in front of me tightly with my hands.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee with kids from prior unions that during the 1990s created a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an encore.

However, life was far from simple for the pair, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.

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 film that was 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.

Yet this is not the approach this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance as a Neil Diamond impersonator, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for in the big league but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals 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 belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist named Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown performer called Sex Machine. The role of Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess portrays Mike’s daughter Angelina who is around the same age – with their developing friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm.

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been surgically removed from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those attributes that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success on the fringes of the music industry, or for that matter making it anywhere and in any business.

This is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

Song Sung Blue is out December 25th in the US and January 1st in Australia and the UK.