SONG ONE (2014)

Genre: Romance
Director: Kate Barker-Froyland
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Mary Steenburgen, Johnny Flynn, Ben Rosenfield, Li Jun Li, Shawn Parsons, Gideon Glick
Runtime: 1 hr 28 mins
Rating: NC16 (Scene Of Intimacy)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://songonemovie.tumblr.com

Opening Day: 5 March 2015

Synopsis: Anne Hathaway (Interstellar, Les Miserables) stars as Franny in SONG ONE, a romantic drama set against the backdrop of Brooklyn's vibrant modern-folk music scene. After Franny's musician brother Henry (Ben Rosenfield, Boardwalk Empire) is injured and hospitalized in a coma following a car accident, Franny returns home after a long estrangement and begins to use his notebook as a guide to how his life has evolved in her absence. Franny seeks out the musicians and artists Henry loved, in the course of her journey meeting James Forester (Johnny Flynn), his musical idol, whose success and fame belie a shy and private man. As a strong romantic connection develops between Franny and James, the question becomes if love can bloom even under the most adverse circumstances.

Movie Review:

There are two types of musicals that populate cinemas today. One of which is the more traditional song and dance theatrics where actors sing every single line on the script. On the other hand, there are more downbeat productions that use (mostly) acoustic songs to highlight the mood of the film and its characters. The latter is heavily influenced by John Carney’s 2007 modern classic ‘Once’ and so is Anne Hathaway’s labour of love ‘Song One’. This is the feature debut for writer-director Kate Barker-Froyland and is mostly a one-note film that rarely crescendos into any hugely-satisfying payoff. In a move to steer the film from being a cliche, it is nonetheless still richly rewarding.

The movie begins with a car accident that sends aspiring street-musician Henry (Ben Rosenfield) into a coma. This summons sister Franny (Anne Hathaway) back to New York from her PHD studies overseas and it is revealed that the siblings not spoken to each other in 6 months. The reunites Franny with her mom (Mary Steenburgen) as much of the movie takes place in a hospital ward waiting for a miracle to happen. When Franny reads her brother’s diary, she starts visiting all the places he used to go, meeting his idol James Forester (Johnny Flynn) in the process. The two hit it off and sparks fly.

There is initially something weird about the idea of dating your brother’s idol while he is in a coma but the tentative pacing of the film ensures no such reservations linger. Instead, we are left with what is a gorgeous film to look at filmed with a handheld camera, like what all hipsters do. The slow-paced film takes time to establish the relationship among its small cast and tries its best to avoid anything grandiose. The real star of the film is its editing that leaves a heartwarming tinge to an indie film that could have otherwise become too cool or soulless.

However, the writing sadly is too predictable while Hathaway tries her utmost best to make it work. It has been a long time since we have seen cheerful, funny Anne, but here her character feels as real as it could have been hoped for. She records sounds, force-opens the brother’s eyes and gets lost among the tragedy like anyone else would. The same cannot be said of Flynn, who while providing a sensitive portrayal of Forester, seems to overplay it, leaving an awkward tone whenever he’s on screen. Some scenes feel a little too coincidental or contrived, such as when Forester, a popular indie star, is free for most of the film in order to meet Franny. At times like this, it is the beautiful cinematography and Steenburgen’s poignant performance as the siblings’ mother that elevates the film.

How much you like ‘Song One’ depends largely on how you connect with its music, written by Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice. As an indie film, the music is hipster like its characters. The folk-rock sound would come off either too draggy to some or satisfyingly soft-spoken for others. As a film about the healing power of music, it mostly ticks all the right boxes with some tracks even memorable enough to be purchased on iTunes.

As the title of the film either reads ‘Song One’ or ‘ Son Gone’, this movie uses the leaving of Henry as a metaphor to the awakening of Franny. While the music treads these characters together, this is ultimately a heartwarming story where audiences seem to know the characters just well enough, but not too well. The conclusion may not be what all romantics had hoped for but it’s still a simple story that would last well through repeated viewings or on your iPod.

Movie Rating:

(A predictable indie movie that is sweet and charming enough to be memorable long after you leave the theatres)

Review by Brandon Chua