Song Sung Blue

“It’s not a Neil Diamond impersonation. It’s the Neil Diamond experience.”

Mike (Hugh Jackman) is particular about this. He wants to be able to sing other songs. He’s capable of singing all sorts of things, but he’s been told that he looks a bit like Neil Diamond and, ultimately, that’s where the money is. He is a fan, so happy enough with the situation, though he wishes that people would recognise that Diamond has more songs than just Sweet Caroline. His own favourite is Soolaimon and his determination to open every set with it becomes a point of conflict with his band.

That band includes keyboardist and Patsy Cline imitator Claire (Kate Hudson), whom we see him meet for the first time in the film’s opening scenes – and rather than a film wholly focused on music, this is their love story. Middle aged and both with complicated pasts, they realise that there’s a lot at stake as they embark on a new relationship, and as they hold it together through the pressures that come with failure, success and unexpected events. It’s a celebration of a mature approach to love which is, nonetheless, never lacking in passion. The two actors have fantastic chemistry and although most of the story revolves around Mike, Hudson gets plenty of screentime and character development, with Claire never coming across as a mere support.

Claire’s commitment to the relationship requires all the more courage because Mike is an alcoholic, as he explains at the outset. The film handles this in an unusually mature way, never exploiting it as a source of big drama but instead exploring the way that it shapes his life. He has been sober for 20 years but he still needs to attend regular AA meetings and carefully manage his emotions. The wisdom he has acquired on his journey comes in handy for caring for his family (with teenage children) and handling the ups and downs of a musical career, but still, it’s a particularly challenging environment in which to stay on the wagon, and the audience is invited to see it a little differently from usual by way of this.

Also handled differently is a disability issue which emerges partway through the film. Again, its treatment is character-focused rather than exploitative, and this enables it to navigate a familiar journey without getting dull. There is no fear here of taking on additional complexity, and the result is both realistic and specific. indeed, it’s the specificity, the particularity of the character relationships that gives this film its power. There are plenty of other works with similar themes, but it stands apart because it always feels grounded and honest and a little bit awkward in all the right ways. It’s shot through with the natural comedy that emerges when people know themselves and one another well, and there’s an infectious exuberance surrounding the characters’ smallest triumphs.

Neil Diamond fans are likely to enjoy the musical numbers, which are well spaced out through the film, allowing the actors a lot of room to express themselves when they play all the way through. Others – like some of the duo’s audiences – will find them uncool enough to be rather sweet. The film is realistic about life as a small time musician, and free of pretension. This is easier, of course, when telling a true story, even if we do find the occasional contrivance here.

True stories tend to fall down when they buy into the myths around the characters or become excessively attached to them. Song Sung Blue does neither. It’s a compelling story about human beings, and a delight to watch.

Reviewed on: 11 Dec 2025