🔗 Share this article Song Sung Blue Film Review: An Musical Homage Act Gets a Heartwarming Boost from Hollywood Courtesy of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for the way the plot frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had my eyes closed with my jaw agape at certain key points, while clutching the chair ahead tightly with my hands. The Unbelievable True Tale The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from prior unions who in the 90s formed a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an additional song. However, life was far from simple for the pair, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once. Adapting a Real Story It is in fact adapted from a prior documentary film of the same title created in 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied extensively on the family's personal collection of home video. One could argue that the original documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s life. But that’s not how this film from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson 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 is entirely believable as an individual not destined for the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to headline a performance. Standout Performances Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage had a thriving act performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out. Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act known as Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess is Mike's daughter Angelina who is around the same age – with their developing friendship is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability. The Heart of the Story Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's heart-stoppingly eventful life experiences, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those qualities that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness involved in striving for success in the margins of the music business, or indeed making it anywhere and within any profession. It is a never-say-die story and its bright hopefulness makes it a calorific Christmas treat. Song Sung Blue is out December 25th in the United States and 1 January in Australia and the UK.