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Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for how the narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had my eyes closed with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, 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 that during the 1990s created a kitschy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an encore.

But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.

Adapting a Real Story

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a film that was heavily reliant on the family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say that the documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements in the lives of Mike and Claire.

Yet this is not the approach this film from director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to carry a show.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career performing 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 impersonator called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown performer called Sex Machine. The role of Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess is Mike's daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element of the film’s likability.

The Core Narrative

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's heart-stoppingly eventful life experiences, and in their place Brewer installs those attributes that the couple themselves would have recognized: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it on the fringes of the music industry, or indeed making it anywhere and in any business.

This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its bright hopefulness makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

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