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Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale from the heartland of American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for the way the plot frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, and was grabbing the chair ahead with both fists.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from previous relationships that during the 1990s formed a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into a cult hit in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an additional song.

But things were far from simple for the pair, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.

Adapting a Real Story

The film is actually based on a prior documentary film of the same title created in 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied heavily reliant 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.

But that’s not how taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars turn the laugh-at 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’s perfectly plausible as someone who isn’t supposed to be the major leagues but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, 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 known as Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays 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 serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life experiences, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those attributes which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music business, or for that matter making it anywhere and in any business.

It is a never-say-die story and its bright hopefulness makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

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