🔗 Share this article

This film presents a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining true-life story emerging from American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for the way the narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found my eyes closed with my jaw agape at certain key points, and was grabbing the chair ahead with both fists.

The Unbelievable True Tale

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 kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into a cult hit in their home state and even opened for Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined 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 hits repeatedly.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a film that was extensively on the family's personal collection 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. He, Jackman and Hudson turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. He’s perfectly plausible as someone who isn’t supposed to be in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act called 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 – with their developing friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.

The Core Narrative

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and in their place Brewer installs those qualities which the pair personally would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness involved in striving for success in the margins of the music business, or indeed making it anywhere and in any business.

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

The film "Song Sung Blue" releases December 25th in the United States and 1 January in Australia and the UK.