🔗 Share this article Song Sung Blue Review: An Neil Diamond Tribute Story Receives a Sweet Treat of Movie Magic Thanks to Jackman and Hudson This film presents a remarkably odd, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for how the plot repeatedly and savagely twists similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape at certain key points, while clutching the seat in front of me tightly with my hands. The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from prior unions who in the 90s created a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an encore. But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune 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 about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. One could argue that the documentary focuses more intently on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements of Mike and Claire’s life. Yet this is not the approach taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars transform the mockery into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. He is entirely believable as an individual not destined for the major leagues but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the pipes) to carry a show. Standout Performances Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage had a thriving act as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, even though one particular Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie. Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown performer 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 – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm. The Heart of the Story Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life stories, and in their place Brewer installs those attributes which the pair personally would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it in the margins of the music business, or for that matter succeeding in any field and within any profession. This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism renders it a calorific Christmas treat. The film "Song Sung Blue" is out December 25th in the United States and 1 January in Australia and the UK.