Duets (1999) ...
Six lost souls in search of a little harmony
| Released: | December 3, 1998 |
| Running Time: | 112 minutes |
| Gross: | September 9, 2000 |
| Cast: | Maria Bello as Suzi Loomis
Andre Braugher as Reggie Kane Paul Giamatti as Todd Woods Huey Lewis as Ricky Dean Gwyneth Paltrow as Liv Scott Speedman as Billy Hannan Lochlyn Munro as Ronny Jackson |
| Writers: | John Byrum |
| Director: | Bruce Paltrow |
| Key Awards: |
None |
| My Rating | ****1/2 |
The movie revolves
around the little known world of karaoke and the whimsical characters who
inhabit it. There's the struggling singer who dreams of making it to the big
time, a frustrated salesman (Paul Giamatti) who ends up on an unexpected road
trip, the dysfunctional family performers which includes a con-artist (Huey
Lewis) and his long lost daughter (Gwyneth Paltrow), and an escaped convict
(Andre Braugher) with the voice of an angel.
All roads lead to Omaha, site of a national karaoke competition where this motley group of singers and stars come together for a blow-out sing-off.
The characters, who are searching to find their way in the world, use both music and the people they find in the karaoke bars as a way to alleviate the pressures of life and in the process connect with one another and form interesting friendships.
Each of the singers display their own unique and
special talents which are funny and endearing as well. The characters in this
eccentric film perform many well known cover songs throughout the film with much
flair, finesse, and vocal acuity.
This was director Bruce Paltrow's last
movie before he passed away and he teamed up with daughter Gwyneth for a
road movie that I liked much more than I expected I would. I'm not sure why Huey
Lewis doesn't get more movie roles because he does a great job playing Gwyneth's
hustler dad who plays the karaoke world like Fast Eddie played the pool halls.
The duet between Gwyneth and Huey of Smokey Robinson's Crusin' is one of the
highlights of the film and all the actor do a very credible job as singers,
including Paul Giamatti and Andre Braugher.
Duets is
a small film with a small story about people who are restless and reckless who
seem to share a common ground that is karaoke that brings out unexpected and
sometimes heart-warming scenes that make the film stronger than most small
films. Even though it was a flop in it's initial release, I have a
feeling this is a movie that has developed a cult following that will continue
to be discovered by many people as the years go by.
Gwyneth's character
is a bit of a hard-ass, but as usual, her sweetness always shines through
and her relationships, especially with boyfriend Scott Speedman works out in the
long run. I guess what I liked best about the movie was the surprises. It didn't
have a run-of-the-mill plot that we've seen a million times before and I found
myself caring about the characters, which is a product of good acting and a good
story.
The critics weren't so generous with their
praise, as the Duets received mixed reviews. Even though film critics Roger
Ebert and Richard Roeper gave the film "a thumbs up," Ebert said, "Duets" has
little islands of humor and even perfection, floating in a sea of missed marks
and murky intentions."
That's a reasonable complaint, however, overall
the music is great, the story is somewhat unpredictable and the actors give
great performances. What more could you ask of any movie?
