🔗 Share this article The Song Sung Blue Film Review: A Musical Homage Act Receives a Heartwarming Boost from Hollywood Courtesy of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson Here is a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining true-life story from the heartland of American showbusiness; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for the way the narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape at certain key points, and was grabbing the seat in front of me tightly with my hands. The Unbelievable True Tale The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee with kids from previous relationships that during the 1990s formed a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into a cult hit in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an additional song. 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 It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a film that was heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of home video. It’s fair to say that the documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements of Mike and Claire’s life. But that’s not how taken by this movie from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as someone who isn’t supposed to be the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to headline a performance. Standout Performances Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing as Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out. Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer known as 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 meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life stories, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those qualities that the couple themselves would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it in the margins of the music business, or for that matter making it anywhere and within any profession. This is a never-say-die story and its bright hopefulness renders it a calorific Christmas treat. The film "Song Sung Blue" is out December 25th in the US and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.