Movie Review: Power Ballad
Are you a fan of John Carney films? The name may not sound familiar, but he’s the writer-director behind a couple of musically awesome films like Once and Sing Street. His brand new film, Power Ballad, stars the forever young Paul Rudd and real-life singer-songwriter Nick Jonas, along with a mixtape full of hit covers. So, is this another chart-topper feel-good movie, or is it destined for the bargain bin?
When Rick, a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy band star Danny during a gig, the two bond over music in a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves.
Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas: An Unlikely Duo
We’ve got Paul Rudd as Rick and Nick Jonas as Danny, and together they have some amazing chemistry. Before we get to see them clicking together, we’re introduced to Rick, the lead in a wedding cover band. Rick is content, perhaps a bit dreamy and longing for what his past could have turned into, but he gets to gig consistently and still be around for his wife and daughter. Right from the start, we see the band together. I wasn’t sure if it was actually Rudd singing these covers, but once the credits rolled, it showed that yeah, he was the one belting out the tunes. He’s not pitch-perfect excellence, but he’s quite good at hitting the melodies and creating something you want to sing along to.
Then we get to see another gig where Rick meets former boy-bander Danny. What is assumed to be a pretentious and arrogant singer shows himself to be a struggling artist who cares deeply about proving his record label—and the world—wrong about whether or not he has talent. It is fortuitous that Jonas was really in a boy band, so the production can grab archival footage of the singer being chased by paparazzi, performing at huge concerts, and gracing all the tabloid covers, which helps to sell the persona for this story.
Jonas shows some surprising heart in many of his scenes. He’s supposed to be the villain of the plot, and we can feel a level of ire towards him later on, but I was impressed at how emotionally convincing he came across. There’s one sequence in particular towards the final act of the film where Danny has this sort of moment of reckoning. The looks and expressions that he conjures up are suspenseful just thanks to the conflict that he’s able to display. You genuinely don’t know how he’s going to respond in that moment, and that edged me closer to the edge of my seat.
Strong Performances and Supporting Cast
Certainly not to be outshone by a real singer, Paul Rudd is absolutely fantastic in this role of a musician who never really made it big. The story could wallow in self-pity and melancholy, but the character wouldn’t be nearly as engaging long-term. We need to be able to root for Rick over the course of this narrative. With the combo of efficient, clever writing and a grounded but yearning performance by Rudd, Rick is someone who is far from perfect but still garners a ton of sympathy despite some glaring flaws.
While there are a handful of supporting characters, two get the most screen time over the rest: previous Carney collaborator Jack Reynor and Peter McDonald, who also co-wrote this story. Reynor is always great to watch, and here he’s a management exec who shows the somewhat shadier side of the music industry. He suspects something’s not right with Danny’s new hit, but he chooses the cash the hit produces over any moral scruples. McDonald plays a long-time friend and bandmate of Rick’s. He’s rough, brash, and a fierce Irish friend, and he shares some awesome chemistry with Rudd, making their duo this laugh-out-loud pairing.
The Soundtrack and Heart
Despite having stellar performances, this wouldn’t be a John Carney film if it didn’t feature some phenomenal music, too. Yeah, a lot of what we hear are covers of hits, but that doesn’t make them any less of a banger. Just like the crowds at the weddings that the band performs at, it’s hard not to sing along, even if it is quietly in your seat as you’re enjoying your popcorn.
But then there are a couple of original songs that get played. One in particular becomes the theme—the anthem song and the central focus of the story’s conflict. If you hate pop music and you don’t enjoy earworms that just follow you for days, plug up your ears or just avoid the movie completely, because *”How to Write a Song Without You”* is going to get stuck in your brain for a very long time. And I don’t think you’re going to mind, because it is a wonderful tune.
To round out the acting and the soundtrack, the story has a bunch of heart to it as well. There’s just the right amount of complication and heartache, which spurs on character action so they feel earned and not just haphazardly inserted. Even though Rick’s relationship with his wife and daughter isn’t pushed to the forefront often, we’re still given an excellent grasp of what they mean to each other, making certain sequences heart-wrenching and raw. The movie uses these emotional downbeats to build the appropriate dramatic pull, but never dwells in that melancholy long enough to drag down the overall mood. It’s just that perfect mix of highs and lows that are accentuated by endearing characters, laugh-out-loud instances, and music that hits the feels in all the right ways.
Pacing and Predictability
The movie is only 98 minutes, so it is quick and slim with the pacing. I appreciate that there are a couple of montages used to showcase both the passage of time and actions or events that take place during that time period. It’s not like these are sequences that require huge bouts of exposition to clearly explain what’s going on; the visuals tell a story in less than a minute when it could have taken five or ten had the montage not been in use. These can be seen as a lazy way to progress the story, but dwelling on the mundane areas only serves to hurt the momentum and the impact of the story rather than expand on its meaning.
There’s also a large level of predictability within the plot. Just from the synopsis, we can tell that despite two people hitting it off early in the tale, there will be conflict that might be tumultuous. While that is present, there are also some unexpected turns the arcs take us on to shake the story up just a bit. Yeah, it will kind of end up exactly where you expect it to. But, just like with a romance or an underdog story, it’s not satisfying to get a realistic and honestly disappointing conclusion. We want the couple to get together. We want David to beat Goliath. It allows a lot of us common folk to just feel as though all is not hopeless, even if it is for only about 90 minutes of our day.
Final Verdict
I had an absolute blast with this film. It isn’t technically perfect, and it does use some shortcuts to get to elements faster while also containing a predictable trajectory. But the feeling I walked away with after watching this was uplifted, happy, and even optimistic. Paul Rudd is a superstar, showing vulnerability and even some hubris while growing through his trials. Nick Jonas, who we know can sing, uses his melodic and sometimes mumbly vocal stylings to complement an emotionally and morally conflicted persona that is both antagonistic and sympathetic.
The soundtrack is going to tunnel its way into your brain and grab hold something fierce, filling every moment with glorious songs that can harness the voices of even the most opposite of people into some glorious harmony. Just like with *Sing Street* and *Once*, this is a triumphant feel-good film that you should go see over and over and over again. And hopefully, there will even be a sing-along version that we can all attend to belt out all the hits as one cacophony of awesomeness.
Rating: I give Power Ballad 5 out of 5 couches. This is an instant rewatch for me, and one that I am absolutely going to be buying as well.
Okay, are there any rock-themed movies that you’ve enjoyed? I mean, some that come to mind that are just varying levels of fun: *The Dirt*, Across the Universe, that Beatles one, Yesterday, and Rock Star. Let me know some of those that you like, though, in the comments below!
