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This film presents a remarkably odd, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from the American entertainment world; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for the way the narrative frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found my eyes closed with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the chair ahead tightly with my hands.

The Unbelievable True Tale

Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from prior unions who in the 90s created a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into a cult hit in their home state and even opened for Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance for an additional song.

But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied 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 of Mike and Claire’s life.

Yet this is not the approach taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. 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 vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing as Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one iconic Cline tune is curiously omitted from this movie.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown performer known as Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess portrays 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 Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and in their place Brewer installs those attributes that the couple themselves would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music industry, or for that matter making it anywhere and in any business.

This is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism makes 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 UK.