Movie Review – ‘Power Ballad’ never finds the right note

When it comes to Irishmen and film, Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Farrell may be the first names that come to mind, but there’s a writer-director living in the shadows who deserves far more recognition for his contributions to cinema. That man is John Carney, perhaps the greatest director of music-driven films working today.

If you’re not familiar with his name, don’t worry — you’re not alone. But when it comes to his films, the man is pure genius. Not only does he write and direct them, but he’s often credited as a songwriter on the music featured in them as well. Like his 2013 hit Begin Again, Carney once again pairs an established actor with a pop star. In his new film Power Ballad it’s the never-aging Paul Rudd alongside Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.

Once the lead singer of an up-and-coming band, Rick Power (Rudd) now fronts The Bride & Groove, a wedding cover band playing yesterday’s and today’s hits across Ireland. Don’t worry, Paul Rudd isn’t attempting an Irish accent. Rick’s an American transplant who met an Irish woman, settled down, and started a family. But he still longs for the days when he played for thousands of fans and will stop at nothing to get back there, including slipping his own songs into wedding sets despite nobody wanting to hear them. As he tells his bandmates, “These songs need to be played.” When you hear Paul Rudd sing, however, you may decide otherwise.

While performing at a wedding, Rick meets former boy band superstar Danny Wilson (Jonas), who joins him on stage. After striking up a quick friendship, the two spend the evening drinking, doing drugs, and jamming together. During that booze-fueled night, Wilson overhears one of Rick’s songs and immediately latches onto it. Back in the United States, after the label rejects his latest material, his girlfriend hears him playing Rick’s song and insists he release it. Fast forward a bit, and the song becomes a No. 1 hit with Rick receiving none of the credit.

Not getting credit would drive anyone crazy, but for a man desperate to reclaim the spotlight, it’s enough to send Rick over the edge. He’ll go to any length to get the recognition he believes he’s owed. And it’s here that the film begins to lose its footing.

That’s not to say Power Ballad is a bad film, but compared to Carney’s previous work, it simply doesn’t measure up. Carney is largely to blame for that. The film is billed as a comedy, yet it rarely generates more than a chuckle or two. No matter who delivers it or how it’s delivered, “Are we stoned or just old?” isn’t exactly comedy gold. In an almost desperate attempt to manufacture laughs, Carney leans into farcical humor late in the film — a style that neither suits him nor this story.

The film also suffers from some distracting editing issues. During an early musical number, Rick repeatedly goes from holding a microphone to not holding one between cuts. Then there are the believability problems. Apparently, anyone can carry a guitar case into a concert. Who knew? Add in a script that never evolves beyond Wilson stealing Rick’s song — a song the audience hears what feels like 15 times throughout the film — and the whole thing starts to feel less like a movie and more like a promotional vehicle for Nick Jonas’ next single.

But perhaps the film’s biggest issue is its casting.

Paul Rudd remains one of Hollywood’s most naturally likable actors, but the role never feels like a fit. More specifically, his singing voice doesn’t. Nick Jonas fares better, but with photos and footage of the real Jonas constantly appearing on screen, it’s difficult to separate the performer from the character he’s supposed to be playing.

The supporting cast doesn’t fare much better. Rudd has virtually no chemistry with his on-screen wife Rachel (Marcella Plunkett) or daughter Aja (Beth Fallon). Most of the band members are reduced to throwaway lines, with the exception of guitarist Sandy (Peter McDonald), who is inexplicably given far more to do than everyone else. Then there’s Danny’s producer, Mac Darling (Jack Reynor), who isn’t so much a character as he is a walking caricature of a douchey music producer.

Where Power Ballad succeeds — much like Carney’s other films — is in the music itself and in showing how that music comes to life. Watching Rick and Danny bounce ideas off each other and build songs from scratch is genuinely magical. Carney pulled off similar moments with Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in Begin Again and again with Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Flora and Son. Those scenes remain his superpower.

Wilson’s songs are undeniably catchy, but paired with Rudd’s limited vocal abilities, the film often feels less like an original John Carney creation and more like a second-rate The Wedding Singer. And for a filmmaker capable of producing movie music magic, that’s a disappointing note to end on.