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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of the American entertainment world; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for the way the narrative frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, and was grabbing the seat in front of me tightly with my hands.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from previous relationships who in the 90s formed a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance 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

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 extensively on the family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say that the documentary puts more emphasis 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 reimagines their tale. The director and stars transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and looking almost like him. He is entirely believable as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her belting out Cline numbers, even though one particular Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist called 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 is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.

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 been aware of: 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 bright hopefulness renders it a calorific Christmas treat.

The film "Song Sung Blue" is out on 25 December in the US and January 1st in Australia and the United Kingdom.