An industry friendo saw Song Song Blue (Focus, 12.25) the other night. He conveyed this by forwarding a photo of a post-screening q & a, but without an opinion. “I’ve been told it’s a fairly good film,” I wrote, “but it’s aimed at commoners.” Industry friendo: “Si, senor.”
From Owen Gleiberman’s 10.26 Variety review:
“As Song Sung Blue recognizes, there are two kinds of Neil Diamond fans: those who, like Mike, hear the beautiful depths in dozens of his songs (‘Cherry, Cherry’, ‘Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show’, ‘Cracklin’ Rosie’), and the bom-bom-bom people — the ones Mike can’t stand, who at a Diamond concert experience an epiphany when they pump their fists in the air and sing-shout ‘bom! bom! bom!’ in the middle of the chorus of ‘Sweet Caroline’, even though it’s not even a lyric. They’re singing along with the trumpet.
“Song Sung Blue is certainly a movie for the bom-bom-bom crowd. Mostly, though, it’s for the Neil Diamond fans who will listen to Mike and Claire, in their solo show at the Ritz Theater in Milwaukee, in a state of slow-burn bliss.”