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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for the way the narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found my eyes closed with my jaw agape at certain key points, while clutching the chair ahead with both fists.

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 who in the 90s formed a kitschy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation in their home state and even opened for 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 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 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the family's personal collection of homemade recordings. One could argue that the original documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s life.

Yet this is not the approach taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and appearing strikingly alike. He’s perfectly plausible as someone who isn’t supposed to be in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to carry a show.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who before she joined 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 iconic Cline tune that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer known as Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess portrays Mike's daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life stories, and replacing them Brewer installs those qualities that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it on the fringes of the music business, or for that matter making it anywhere and within any profession.

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

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