What would you do if you were to hear a hit song from an established musician, knowing that you were solely responsible for the songwriting and sound design of the song, but with no way of proving it? This is the question at the heart of Power Ballad, a charming, funny, and heartwarming musical comedy-drama starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, a story that will make audiences want to sing out loud, laugh their hearts out, and even tear up at certain moments.
At the beginning of the film, Rick Power (Rudd) performs as a wedding singer with his band, which includes one of his best friends, Sandy (Peter McDonald). At the wedding, Rick meets Danny Wilson (Jonas), a former boy band singer who is trying to make it as a solo artist. Despite his initial prejudice against Danny, Rick ends up getting along with him and having a jam session during the night. After Danny’s return to LA, Rick finds out that the singer is popular again and now has a number one hit song, except that the song was stolen from Rick, and the latter has no way of proving it.
Paul Rudd is one of the primary reasons why this film works. With his charm, comedic timing, and layered performance, he immediately makes the audience not only care for the character’s misfortunes but also actively root for him every step of the way, even when he does not necessarily act in his best interest or those of the people he loves. In the third act, the film is at its best when Rick and Danny finally reunite. This feels like the moment the audience has been waiting for ever since the song “How To Write a Song (Without You)” is played on the radio, and the film does not let us down, building up to a strong, somewhat emotional, and still quite humorous confrontation.
The musical elements are also very well done and well-explored. From the very first scene, the audience can see Rick’s passion for music, and this is presented throughout the film. When he is not performing, we see it in the way he talks about songwriting and in the way he works on his craft. Most importantly, the original songs, especially the aforementioned one, are very catchy and well-made, which makes it easy for the audience to understand why they would become such a hit. The original songs bring such a fresh element to the entire movie that I almost wish I had heard even more about them.
Unfortunately, some of the side characters are not explored in much depth. This is understandable given the quick pace and relatively short runtime of the movie, and admittedly, the movie does establish its secondary characters successfully, but it does at times feel like a missed opportunity. This is especially true of Sandy, who is a very fascinating character whose background and overall circumstances could have added an extra element to the overall story. Similarly, there are some parts of Danny’s story and personality that should have been touched on more to create a well-rounded and therefore more interesting antagonist.
Overall, Power Ballad is a very entertaining movie. Its formula to create a strong comedy musical works from the very beginning: it has a catchy song, a strong performance, and a very good fight scene. But its elements of drama are also very successful thanks to some very touching and emotional moments that allow the audience to get to know Rick on a deeper level and understand that the things that matter the most in life are not necessarily writing a hit song or making a lot of money.
★★★★
In UK cinemas from May 29th/ Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Havana Rose Liu, Jack Reynor / Dir: John Carney / Lionsgate / 15
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