Director John Carney may have peaked with “Sing Street,” but we still need his brand of music-driven cinema.
The director struck gold with both “Once” (2007) and “Begin Again” (2013). His ode to ‘80s music, 2016’s “Sing Street,” may be the best Reagan-era flashback since “The Wedding Singer.
But Carney’s fine but formulaic “Flora and Son” went straight to Apple TV+ and lacked the filmmaker’s signature touch. Now, he’s back on solid ground with “Power Ballad,” a film boasting a stellar first act but a story unsure how far to push its premise.
Paul Rudd stars as Rick, a wedding singer who once dreamed of being an arena rock god. Fate had other plans, and he settled for a blissful marriage and being a Dad to a sweet, well-adjusted teen.
Playing classic rock for newlyweds scratches that old, artistic itch.
Barely.
Those old dreams resurface when he bumps into an aging boy band alum, Danny (Nick Jonas, perfectly fine but far from remarkable). The two get drunk, tinker with their respective music and bond over unfinished tracks.
The sequence works, in part, because Rudd can do virtually anything on screen. Plus, Carney’s musical instincts remain uncanny. You don’t have to be a guitar hero to admire two artists stumbling along until the right riff emerges.
This is Carney’s sweet spot.
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Except one of their collaborations sticks in Danny’s head. And, when his label demands he come up with a hit, or else, he swipes one of Rick’s old noodlings. Voila, his ice cold career is hot again.
Naturally, Rick hears the song and can’t believe Danny betrayed their trust. What happens next isn’t as wacky as the film’s trailer suggests. Nor is it cynical to the core.
“Power Ballad’s” mid-section is unfortunately flabby, even if the film’s core gimmick is rock solid. Carney isn’t quite sure where to take this tale. Will Rudd channel his inner “Role Models” character and hound Danny until he admits to his pilfering?
Might Danny regret using a stranger’s song to boost his career?
“Power Ballad” does get some mileage out of Rick’s bandmates. They’re a talented group of Irish musicians with big personalities, and they offer some texture to the tale. Rick’s wife (Marcella Plunkett) doesn’t get anough screen time, and when some major tension rocks their bond later in the film, the circumstances seem driven by plot, not character development.
And as good as it was to watch Rick and Danny collaborate in those early scenes, the film can’t dig deeper into that connection.
“Power Ballad” isn’t as cynical as it could be, nor as hard edged as the story demands. Carney’s screenplays (this time with co-writer Peter McDonald) are still better than many modern storytellers. His comic timing never betrays him, and Rudd’s exasperation at missing his last chance for stardom is oddly relatable.
Carney’s best films deliver instantly catchy songs, from the Oscar-winning “Falling Slowly” to “Begin Again’s” “Lost Stars” and “Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home.”
The key track here, “How to Write a Song (Without You)” is fine. Nothing more. But when we’re asked to believe it could revive Danny’s career and become the “It” hit of the moment, it’s no sale.
Still, there’s a maturity to “Power Ballad” that’s hard to shake and easy to admire. Imagine “Power Ballad” under a more conventional approach, from the inevitable comic violence to an ending guaranteed to answer all our nagging questions.
Carney mostly resists that safe, sugary potential.
This is adult storytelling, and if that means we aren’t spoon fed easy solutions or cathartic third-act reveals, so be it.
Just look for a street busker cameo for the ultimate Carney easter egg. This talented filmmaker has more than earned it.
HiT or Miss: “Power Ballad” is the equivalent of a great Yacht Rock song. It’s easy to enjoy and will leave your feet a-tapping, but you might forget all about it in short order.