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Here is a remarkably odd, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for how the plot frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape at certain key points, while clutching 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 previous relationships who in the 90s formed a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an additional song.

However, life was not easy for them, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once.

Adapting a Real Story

The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name created in 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a film that was heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of home video. One could argue that the original documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire.

But that’s not how this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars 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 someone who isn’t supposed to be the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson likewise shines, doing her own singing as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her 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 performer called Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess is Mike’s daughter Angelina of about 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 surgically removed from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life stories, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those attributes which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success on the fringes of the music business, or indeed succeeding in any field and in any business.

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

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