Directed by John Carney | Written by Carney and Peter McDonald | 98 min | ▲▲▲1/2
I haven’t seen everything John Carney has directed, but I really do appreciate the unique track the Irish filmmaker has composed — little humanist ditties, you could call them, with music in their wholesome hearts. The highlights being the terrific Sing Street and magical Once, the charming Flora & Son, and the disappointing Begin Again. His new one, Power Ballad, is closer to the top of that list than the bottom.
It stars Paul Rudd — his Ruddian charm turned up to I Love You, Man levels — as Rick Power, an American musician living in Dublin, happily married to Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), with a teen daughter, Ava (Beth Fallon). He used to be in an up-and-coming act, but these days sings in a wedding band called Bride and Groove with a group of whiskery Irishman, including best buddy Sandy (screenwriter McDonald). Power still writes songs, but the band doesn’t like to play them and audiences are only interested in the hits of the past.
Playing a wedding in a sprawling castle, former boyband pop star Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas) shows up. He’s pals with the bride and groom, and somewhere on the property he’s set up a rehearsal and recording room, plugging away at a solo record. He performs with the wedding band, and he and Rick hit it off, going deep into the night drinking Irish whiskey and jamming. Rick plays one of his tunes, Danny really likes it.
Six months later, Rick’s at a mall and hears his song playing. Turns out Danny Wilson has been “inspired” and, having played Rick’s song to his girlfriend (Havana Rose Liu), he’s decided to record it on his new record and, sure enough, it’s become a huge hit.
This sends Rick’s life into a tailspin as he hears the song everywhere, even from wedding guests requesting it at his gigs. He’s desperate to find evidence he wrote the song to prove it to his family, but if there ever was a demo, it’s gone. Meanwhile, Danny Wilson and his manager, Mac (Jack Reynor), deny Rick’s authorship.
Carney’s passion for making music a storytelling essential allows his film to float above Power Ballad‘s fairly thin stakes. This isn’t a true musical, but it may as well be for how many songs we get to hear throughout, and the importance of music to the characters’ lives. Rick and Danny Wilson are an interesting pair — Danny isn’t really the antagonist and Rick isn’t always the protagonist. A different director would’ve expanded the dramatic incident, maybe given Rick an addiction triggered by the injustice of his dream deferred and, finally, stolen. There are plenty of ways this could’ve been more deeply felt, but the theme of a diversity of definitions of success can’t help but resonate, and there’s something to be said for such a lovely, light diversion. It’s like a well-crafted pop song.
