Power Ballad is the movie of the year (so far). It’s got Rudd, Jonas, great music, hilarious escapades, and one of the most touching stories in cinema. Writer and director John Carney is known for his uplifting musical dramedies Once, Begin Again, Sing Street and Flora and Son. With Power Ballad, it’s clear that his skill in creating intimate human stories has grown over the years. You’ll laugh, cry, tap your toes and, most importantly? You’ll be reminded of the power of music.
Once is an extremely low budget film that taught viewers that all you really need is two dynamite leads and beautiful music to make a film worth watching. Since then back in 2006, John Carney has carved out a great niche: emotionally sweeping music-based dramedies.
His films aren’t exactly musicals by the way. Rather, they are written around main characters who play music. Whether they’re a famous pop star or a humble busker, Carney has a way of making his films universal.
Dynamite Leads
Working with well known actors and up and comers over the years, John Carney has always had a way of creating extremely endearing characters. And who among us is more endearing than Paul Rudd? Rudd is perfectly placed as an aging rock and roller “Rick Power” who’s life’s path has led him to be a singer in a wedding band in Dublin, Ireland.
One night while on a gig, Rick meets the craftily charismatic Danny Wilson, played pitch perfectly by real life pop star Nick Jonas. Jonas has been acting more and more recently, and I will say, the guy’s got chops. Danny Wilson ends up stealing a song that Rick started writing a long time ago… and Rick finds out just a little too late.
I love these two guys. I love their characters, together, and a part. We see two completely different lifestyles that are both heavily influenced by music. While one may be more successful, we get to see both sides of each character’s story. And, when they first meet, the chemistry of Rick and Danny is infectious. Their relationship certainly takes a turn, however…
Beautiful Music
So, basically, this entire movie is about one song. The one song Rick Power thinks could really be something- and it is! Similarly to Once‘s “Falling Slowly”, Power Ballad‘s “How to Write a Song Without You” is the main force of the story itself. You will hear it plenty throughout the runtime and, rest assured, it’s a winner.
From front to back, there’s great tunes. Several scenes make me want to get up out of my seat and start dancing. I keep listening to this soundtrack on repeat. Specifically “How to Write a Song Without You”, of course, because it’s freaking beautiful. But! The rest of the soundtrack is filled out with classic songs, as well as a few satirically written pop songs that sound cool and crack me up.
The film does a great job of satirizing the music industry, while simultaneously showing us the life of a nitty-gritty song writer out on his own.There’s an energy that bounces off of the screen- and not just from the music itself. Rick Power, and to some extent, Danny Wilson’s love of music and song-writing is inspiring, and, at times, enough to make a grown man cry.
Hitting Strictly High Notes
As an avid movie-goer, fan of John Carney, and filmmaker- I was worried about this one. The poster and the trailer kind of screamed “cheese”. And, I love cheesy movies. Especially from the 80s. But this movie feels like a sentimental throwback. There’s something so surprisingly uplifting about it- I really can’t tell you what it is though.
The plot is simple yet genius- what would you do if a famous pop star stole a song you wrote without giving you a glimpse of credit? It’s sort of a nightmare, but one funneled through the guise of Rock’n’Roll comedy and a career best Paul Rudd.
Paul Rudd can do anything. Mostly comedies, sure. But he plays a great Ant Man, and has a way of sneaking into some fantastic indie dramadies. This is one of those scenarios. There’s no one better to root for than Paul Rudd as Rick Power, and no better foil for Rick than Nick Jonas as Danny Wilson.
Too Much Fun
Maybe it’s a crime to have this much fun with a movie- I’ve seen it twice now. It’s also, lucky for me, still playing at the theatre I work at, The Dedham Community Theatre. I keep running in that theatre to catch the ending- it’s a major tear jerker.
John Carney has brought together two magnanimous celebrities in order to concoct yet another satisfyingly feel good and meta musical tale of a song writing session gone sour. He seriously hit it out of the park- as if there could be any doubt. No one makes films like John Carney, and that’s what makes them so lovable.
They have an authentic feel, and despite some of the comic jumps in logic, every decision the characters make are based in real life feelings and experiences. That’s why I love this so much. I’m not a washed up wedding singer, and I’m certainly not a world-famous pop star. But I could relate to both Rick and Danny regardless.
So while they sing along to some of the best songs out there- old and new- along the way you’ll feel for them, for their passion, for their creative vexation. I need more people to see this, so please, if you need something to do, or if you’re feeling down, go see Power Ballad. It’s sure to lift the spirits of even the most cynical movie-goer.
