Song Sung Blue – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Song Sung Blue – Lightning & Thunder: It’s a Love Story

In the power of sound, a melody can speak in a thousand ways.  From soft rhythms to delicate voices, you will feel that musical motion as it pushes you into another zone.  When combined with storytelling, the possibilities are endless, especially in romance.  In this review, I look at the latest romance tale to hit the big screen.  Through a combination of song and love, we head on a journey that strikes a heartfelt chord.  Even when clichés abound, Song Sung Blue is a genuine look at how the bonds of love can be much more … with a bit of music in your life. 

When two people find a path through music, they head off on a journey of success, heartbreak and a note worth playing together.  Stories are a mixture of purpose, grips and feelings of what is and what can be.  No matter the genre, building that foundation is a showcase of believability that, no matter if its truth or fiction, you feel as if it is a part of you.  With this film (inspired by true events), it becomes a journey that blends song and moments with a message of the heart.  In the beginning, we meet Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman), a recovering alcoholic who plays as a cover artist at small clubs, state fairs and other venues in the Midwest.  After some conversational moments, he crosses paths with another cover artist, Claire (Kate Hudson).  Through their love of music, they find a kindred bond together.  This leads to them starting a relationship and playing together under the pseudo name: Lightning and Thunder, a cover band that plays Neil Diamond Songs.  From here, we move through a romantic tale that becomes a journey of cliché moments, melodrama and grounded elements of familial and personal strife.  For all the convenience at play, it is the thematic appeal of love and hardships that provides a riveting prowess through the cover band.  Watching these two as Lightning and Thunder provides a point of escape, a spirited grip that rises above the obvious circumstances through the music from Neil Diamond’s catalog.

As the journey of music and love continues to weave through tropey melodrama, what stays genuine is the relationship between our lead characters.  With Mike and Claire, you have a complexity between two broken souls that are fighting indifference through each other.  As each of their triumphs are met with the direst of lows, generalities are elevated because of Jackman and Hudson’s performances.  It is through them that you see purpose above struggles, a complexion that highlights raw emotion through telegraphed plot details.  With each fragile moment, the music continues to be their guiding light.  Once they hit that full circle moment, we head into an emotionally driven third act, bringing everything full circle in its climax and epilogue.  Song Sung Blue is a tale about our bonds through music.  If you are a Neil Diamond fan or enjoy romances, this is for you.  For anyone else, I think there is enough here for a good time at the theaters.

Full Score – 3.5 out of 5 (Matinee)