Rick, a washed-up wedding singer, and Danny, a fading boy band star, bond over music and a late-night jam session. When Danny turns Rick’s song into a hit, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves.

John Carney’s latest film, ‘Power Ballad’, is another feel-good musical comedy following in the footsteps of ‘Once’ and ‘Sing Street’. It follows Rick Power (Paul Rudd), a wedding band singer who long ago abandoned dreams of rock stardom, settling down in Ireland with his wife and young daughter instead. Rick now performs with a wedding band called ‘The Bride and the Groove’ (top-tier punning), when a chance encounter at a glamorous castle wedding with former boy band star Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas) reignites ambitions he thought were long behind him.

Those hopes quickly takes a sour turn when Rick discovers that Danny has used one of his songs to kick start his stuttering solo career. The song, ‘How to Write a Song (Without You)’, becomes a global hit, and importantly it does sound like the kind of song that would become really successful, something films about musicians often struggle to pull off. Rick’s attempts to claim the credit he is due are stonewalled at every turn by Danny’s manager (Jack Reynor), while back home his story is largely treated as a joke, leaving him increasingly frustrated as the song continues its rise up the charts.

‘Power Ballad’ is a film about the art of creating music, but also about what happens when life gets in the way of the dreams you once had. Rick has spent years convincing himself he is content with the path he chose, only to be confronted with the possibility that the success he always wanted was within touching distance. As the dispute over the song develops, the film becomes increasingly interested in who really owns a piece of art, whether that is the person who writes it, the person who performs it, or the person who gives it meaning. That idea sits at the heart of some of the film’s strongest and most emotional scenes.

Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas are excellent opposite one another, with both bringing enough warmth and vulnerability that the conflict never feels black and white. The film is heartfelt without becoming overly sentimental, genuinely funny throughout, and built around a song that is convincing enough for the entire premise to work. I was a huge fan of ‘Power Ballad’ and thought it was another charming, funny and emotionally engaging film from John Carney.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: John Carney

Starring: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Havana Rose Liu, Jack Reynor, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett and Beth Fallon

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt32267691/