Hyde Park Pick: Power Ballad

Going in I was skeptical. The first poster I caught for the film didn’t make me feel like it would be quite up my alley and whilst I know who the Jonas Brothers are, the thought of them leaves me numb. Like football, I know it exists and that’s great but I don’t need anything else from it.  

Paul Rudd is another matter. Since Clueless he’s had a place in my heart but he’s also pretty prolific and committing to see everything he makes doesn’t feel doable or necessary.

So, you can see my surprise when Power Ballad ended up being one of the most fun and heartwarming experiences I have had in the cinema in quite some time.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. This is a John Carney film and it’s easy to see his past works in its genetics. There’s even a sneaky little musical cameo to really hammer it home.

So, the basic premise is when past-his-prime wedding singer Rick (Paul Rudd), meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and 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 - even if it means risking everything he cares about.

Where I found myself really falling for the film was in the detail, not of the relationship between the two leads, but the world that was sketched around Rick. Marcella Plunkett and Beth Fallon as the Irish wife and daughter than changed the trajectory for the young rising pop star Rick once was. And Peter McDonald as his ride or die best friend with the swagger of Rhys Ifans roommate in Notting Hill.

There’s just a lot of charm and charisma, silly jokes and stumbles of conscience and self. It’s a film that has the potential to lift up those on the look out for some warmth without too much consequence. What a surprisingly lovely little late May treasure.

See Power Ballad with us from Fri 29 May. You can book tickets here.