When you look at the list of writers on many pop songs, you wonder who DIDN’T get credit.
“Power Ballad,” Paul Rudd’s new film, in theaters now, suggests it could be a one-man operation. At least that’s what pop star Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas) offers when he emerges with a hit that got its start in a late-night jam session.
Nick Jonas, left, and Paul Rudd in "Power Ballad."
Rudd plays the lead singer of a wedding band (The Bride and Groove) who meets Wilson at a friend’s wedding. The pop star sings a song with the band, then invites Rudd’s Rick Power to his suite to talk. The two muse about music and write. The next day, Wilson gives his new friend a guitar and the two figure they won’t see each other.
When Wilson releases the song they worked on and lands a hit, the wedding singer is gobsmacked: He’s not credited. Without proof, he has no recourse.
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Nick Jonas as Danny, left, and Paul Rudd as Rick in "Power Ballad."
Director John Carney sides with the guy snubbed and shows how he tries to get justice, but the film isn’t about hitting the jackpot. It’s about accepting your place in life.
Rudd does a nice job showing how wedding gigs can be more fulfilling than pop stardom and how a strong home life is preferable to world tours.
Jonas, however, is little more than a prop. He has experience in this world but “Power Ballad” constantly seems like it was meant for someone with a little more edge. Harry Styles, perhaps?
Paul Rudd, right, with Peter McDonald, plays a washed-up rocker who now fronts a wedding band in the music comedy "Power Ballad."
Carney stuffs his film with recognizable songs (and lands the hit) but never answers the question: How much do you have to write to deserve credit?
There’s still a good movie dissecting the issue. This is just a feel-good bro-com that demonstrates Rudd can sing and Jonas has potential.
When Rudd finds his musical groove, you want him to bring back “The Wedding Singer” and sail through those ‘80s and ‘90s hits. His take on music scores.
