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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for how the plot frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had myself shutting my eyes and mouth open during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the chair ahead tightly with my hands.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from previous relationships that during the 1990s formed a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance for an encore.

But things were far from simple for the pair, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name created in 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say that the original documentary puts more emphasis 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. He, Jackman and Hudson 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’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage had a thriving act 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.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly tribute artist named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act 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 – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and replacing them Brewer installs those attributes which the pair personally would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness involved in striving for success on the fringes of the music industry, or indeed succeeding in any field and in any business.

It is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

Song Sung Blue releases December 25th in the US and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.