Two of the best actors in the US, and my personal favorites as well. What can go wrong ? Well for one thing have the movie be a vehicle for Gwyneth Paltrow in the movie's most uninteresting storyline. If the script had just dropped that story about the lost "Dad" and fleshed out the other two stories a bit more then this movie would have been awesome. Its not that she is so bad at the singing or Lewis is an awful actor, but their story is just so boring and kliché... Still at least Giamatti and Maria Bello has since had a lot of good roles, now we just need more of Andre Braugher :-) Cant be long before we see a movie like this, just set in the world of competitive computer-gaming. That would be very weird indeed, but lets see if I am right.

The movie was pretty decent. You really have to like singing to enjoy the film more though. The film has nice colorful characters that keep you interested throughout, but that is to make up for the weak story. Basically the film is about people trying to win a karaoke contest. It does touch base on some of the side stories, but not that strong. The main part of the cast all had their own singing styles. Maria Bello was more female alternative. Andre Braugher with Paul Giamatti were a soul/jazz type. Then you got Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow as an upset fun type. It was nice to see Huey Lewis sing and I was really surprised by Paul Giamatti's voice. But who stole the show was Andre Braugher. He has the most emotional part of the film and it contains a shivering a cappella version of Free Bird. So a decent little film with some fun singing basically sums up this movie.

What a movie ! Actually except for the bloody climax it could've been one of the greatest movies ever made. It's not another road movie or else; it's one sharp reviewing for the real meaning of "duet" in our contemporary life. When they choose the karaoke it wasn't randomly as long as no one is born with the gift of knowing how to love. The singer on the stage needs an audience to be that bond that could make the both of them happy or lively so the human relationships. You must practice a lot to be that talented in love because it's not about the tune inasmuch as the way of your singing.. The way you feel and want the other to feel. Therefore (Giamatti)'s character said at the end "I sing now!" as he meant that he loves AND gets used to be loved.You would grasp the smart philosophy of it when you notice how it got all the main connections' kinds : the family (Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis), the friendship (Andre Braugher & Paul Giamatti), and the love story (Gwyneth Paltrow & Scott Speedman). It can't be life without being in a duet.Despite that it got solid catchy characters, some clever ironic situations (especially at the first act), but I didn't like the whole third act whereas I didn't see (Maria Bello)'s development as a character for the better, or even the logicality of the peacemaking between the father and his daughter, not to mention the melodramatic death of (Andre Braugher) !! I couldn't perceive for a second why he committed suicide like this ! The script wanted to make him that martyr friend, or that solo forever character..Fine ! But in the most unconvincing way ! Besides the confusion at the matter of killing the road store's owner or not; which wasn't for the sake of the movie, totally unlike the confusion of who did win at the end ? As simply and wonderfully put : they all won ! The songs at the end were dramatically expressing to the utmost. The performance was perfect yet as always (Paul Giamatti) is sunnier than the rest as that extinguished exhausted man, partly because he's everyone's impossible dream as the easy rider of the middle class, or the angry insane version of (Albert Brooks) in (Lost in America).It's representing how life is a complicated duet, and if both try their best at it then they may have the biggest trophy of them all : Love.

I saw this the other night/morning. It was on after that 16 years' celebration of The Royal Variety Performance and I fully intended to go to bed, but watched the first scenes anyway. Then the next, and so on. By halfway through I had DEFINITELY got into it big time. Gwyneth Paltrow is the only actor in it I'm familiar with, but the characters that made me keep watching were so obviously Todd and Reggie. Todd more than Reggie because he became less stuffy and businessey and almost a noncomformist, and being a Goth, that was great to see. His views on America can easily be said to mean Everywhere and he was so chilled, and the music really gave him meaning. Reggie was just lovable. The music, encompassing so many different decades and styles, was a beauty to hear and, though I can't carry a note myself, if there's anyone out there willing to try to teach me, gimme a ring, heheh.