*****No Spoilers*****
The Premise
A music store owner Frank Fisher (Nick Offerman) must come to terms with the eminent closure of his shop along with his daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) moving away from him to attend college. All the while holding on to a dream of making a big break in the music world.
Chemistry
Feel-good movies like this can live of die by the performances on screen and more importantly, the chemistry between the actors. This film triumphs over most. The father daughter relationship between feels natural and heart warming. Add to that the complicated love/friendship with Leslie (Toni Colette) and the comedic moments with a very likable stoner Dave (Ted Danson) and you have a winning formula. Almost forgot to mention Nick’s aging mother Marianne (Blythe Danner) who gives a beautiful performance as an aging lady who can’t look after herself properly anymore.
Cozy Movie
There are no great highs or lows in this movie. You never get huge spectrum’s of emotions and it’s a better film because of it. It feels very real and everyone is likable even when going through bad situations. Nick at his lowest point is still lovable and nothing in this movie will irritate the viewer. It’s simply as very easy watch!
Passion Project
It’s clear from the first ten minutes that this is a passion project for all involved. The focus on music could only come from great music lovers. They play full songs in the movie where others would have cut away and it’s brilliant. I loved the songs but more importantly, I loved watching Nick & Kiersey bounce off each other and feed off the energy as they performed together. It’s not something we usually get to see in movies, at least not to this extent.
The Score
Having music feature prominently in a movie is a gamble that’s payed off here. The songs are ridiculously good and very catchy. It’s a soundtrack I’ll be keen to seek out and I imagine many viewers will share my enthusiasm. I hope that Kiersey continues as a singer as she has a wonderful voice and it’s clear she it extremely talented. Having already worked with the likes of ‘Lady Gaga’ and ‘Pharrell Williams’, I think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing a lot more of ‘Kiersey Clemons’ in the future.
Ending
Again, no spoilers but the films ends as gently as it starts. A lovely satisfying musical piece followed by some character development. Feels a bit like we got a slice in to these people’s lives and that they’ll continue on after we leave. Again, feeling cozy and comfortable and satisfying.
This isn’t the greatest movie out there. It’s not solving world issues or striking any political message. It’s small. It’s good. It’s comfortable! There are some wonderful performances by all the cast members and the passion of the music shines through.
See with a beer or two! Definitely go see if you enjoy music (who doesn’t???)
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