Review of Hear My Song (1991) by Stuart K — 16 Apr 2013
The directorial debut of Peter Chelsom, who later went on to direct comedies like Funny Bones (1995), Serendipity (2001) and Shall We Dance? (2004). This is a charming and warmly funny fable which was based on the absence of a real life singer, this is a very charming film with a lot of heart and good humour, as well as some good performances.
It still stands the test of time these days, and it's a joy to watch. In the Irish part of Liverpool, nightclub owner Micky O'Neill (Adrian Dunbar) is struggling to get any good acts for the punters, but when he learns that he can get reclusive Irish tenor Josef Locke (Ned Beatty) to appear, Micky promotes this one to high heavens.
However, it turns out the Locke he booked is a fake going around as Mr. X (William Hootkins). This causes Micky to lose the night club and his girlfriend Nancy (Tara Fitzgerald). But, it sparks determination inside him, and Micky travels to Ireland to find the real Josef Locke, who has hid away in Ireland since the 1950's for tax reasons, but he won't give in, and he plans to bring Locke back to Liverpool, and win everything back.
This is a film cut from similar cloth to the old Ealing Comedies and even Local Hero (1983), which has a lot of sly humour, good dialogue and a lot of local heart. It's also a bit of a road movie at one point, it's a shame Chelsom hasn't done anything as good as this.
This review of Hear My Song (1991) was written by Stuart K on 16 Apr 2013.
Hear My Song has generally received positive reviews.
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