Making a movie about pop stars that isn’t cheesy or cliché is no small feat. But Power Ballad, director John Carney’s latest, pulls it off — managing to sidestep tropes to deliver a funny, heartfelt crowd-pleaser. It may even have you humming the lead track as you leave the theater (speaking from experience).
The film follows a washed-up singer named Rick Power (Paul Rudd), who’s now a wedding band member living in Ireland. One night, he connects with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a fellow American and former boy band star who’s struggling to prove himself as a serious, standalone musician. After jamming together for several hours, they part ways, noting they’ll probably cross paths again someday. And oh boy, do they.
Six months later, Rick hears a hit song that sounds strikingly familiar — and realizes it’s one they worked on together that night in Ireland, but never finished. Fueled by disbelief and anger, he embarks on an all-consuming journey to chase the credit he thinks he deserves.
The movie opens in select theaters on May 29, and everywhere on June 5. I caught an early screening this past weekend at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Power Ballad is a comedic drama filled with cheeky jabs and understated humor that consistently sticks the landing. In one early scene, Rick and his bandmates look up this reputed young heartthrob, Danny Wilson, fumbling to put on reading glasses to see the phone’s screen — thus underscoring their relatively antiquated status. The screening I attended had the audience laughing from the first few minutes all the way to the mid-credits scene.
But a strong moral center and underlying tension ultimately drive the film from start to finish. Power Ballad explores the cost of being consumed by greed and ego, while also examining the pitfalls of trying to prove yourself to the wrong people. It maintains a generally lighthearted tone, aided by humor and a mostly surface-level take on its characters. Rather than feeling like a drawback, this keeps the plot focused and reinforces the film’s crowd-pleasing appeal. Rudd and Jonas harmonize literally and metaphorically throughout the film, even when their characters are at odds.
The pursuit of fame and super-stardom might not be relatable to most people. But the fundamental longing for purpose and recognition explored in Power Ballad will resonate with anyone.
Rudd and Jonas movingly bring these desires to life through characters who, despite their vastly different lives, harbor shared resentment, yearning and loneliness. The pain of feeling misunderstood, even by those closest to them, is palpable. They each contend with how much they’re willing to sacrifice to get what they want. More than an overdone refrain on following your dreams, Power Ballad is also a lesson in when to let go.
I admittedly came into this film with a preexisting interest: I’ve been a Jonas Brothers fan — and by extension, a Nick Jonas fan — since 2006. Jonas feels like the right casting choice for Danny not only because of his committed performance, but also for the lived experience he brings to the screen. He knows how to convey the growing pains of going from boy band to solo act because he’s done it in real life. (Although, to the relief of Jonas fans everywhere, the band’s now back together.)
What makes Jonas’ role even more believable is the use of real throwback clips from earlier in his career. Snippets of old Jonas Brothers performances and interviews call back to the videos I watched on YouTube incessantly as a teenager, adding a welcome dose of nostalgia and authenticity.
Rudd, too, skillfully conveys the wounded nature of someone who expected to amount to more — and who’s deeply resentful that his one chance to make it big was seemingly snatched from him. He balances his character’s natural charm with mounting distress as he pushes for what he thinks is rightfully his. Rudd may not be the real-life pop star of this starring duo, but he holds his own with some impressively strong vocals.
The main track, How to Write a Song (Without You), also happens to be incredibly catchy without veering too far into kitschy, overly sentimental territory. I dare you not to get it stuck in your head.
The film is irresistible in its own right, a feel-good watch that’s just as likely to stick with you long after the final note fades.
