Hearts Beat Loud

Frank Fisher runs an honest-to-goodness record store in relatively modern day Brooklyn, and it's about to go under. He's worried, mostly because his daughter Sam is about to go to UCLA for med school, and helping her pay for that is a top priority. He also has a mother with dementia who keeps wandering off and getting arrested. How will all this be resolved?

Well, this movie is really not all that interested in these things. Frank (Nick Offerman) also PLAYS music, and was once in a band with Sam's (Kiersey Clemons) mother. A mother killed a lot of years ago in a cycling accident. Sam also plays some music, and although she's very studious and very into being a doctor, she still indulges her father with occasional "jam sessions." One night, she brings a song she's started writing to one of these sessions. This results in the song "Hearts Beat Loud" to be recorded and Frank uploads it to Spotify, where is makes a modest splash. He's excited about forming a real band with his daughter and seeing what they can make of a musical partnership. She's interested in being a doctor and in spending time with her new girlfriend Rose (Sasha Lane). THIS conflict is the real meat of the story, and even that is truly overcome by the music.

Clemons and Offerman (who knew!) actually perform in this film, and the music they "create" (the songs were written by others) and play together is what makes the movie a charmer. First of all, Offerman is totally convincing as a slightly grump guy who loves music and loves his daughter, and when he gets to combine the two, his sheer delight is transporting. Offerman practically glows, and having enjoyed his flat, grumpy persona for so many years, seeing him expand on that is a joy. This movie is his show, really. Clemons is refreshingly unaffected in her performance, and it's great to see a father/daughter relationship that shows the pair fighting (at times) but not once feeling that the underlying love and commitment is at risk. But while Clemons is quite charming, in my opinion as a middle aged white male, Offerman's performance is the revelation. Others will feel differently...but I think either way would make the film fun. Just watching these two play together and create songs together is really quite lovely. The rest of the "drama" of the film is quite secondary, although the plot points DO need be resolved, and some are resolved more convincingly than others.

The stuff with Offerman's mom (Blythe Danner) really barely registers, except that we see it as yet another pressure on HIM. His relationship with his land lady (Toni Collette, always a welcome presence) waffles between romance and friendship, and will sweet, is not gripping. Offerman does have some nice scenes with his local bartender (Ted Danson...who enlivens almost every effort he's in these days). On the other side, Sam's relationship with Rose isn't terribly gripping either. They are facing the idea that Sam's move to the other coast will doom their relationship, but we have virtually no emotional investment in them as a couple.

SO, in the end, the joys of this movie are simple and light. Watching two charming performers enjoying playing music together and enjoying the TIME spent making music together. It's a delightful and heartening father/daughter relationship. I suppose if there are any revelations beyond "music can be transporting" would be the notion that "fathers and daughters can love each other with ease, despite any dramas that arise." It's nice to see played out and makes the whole film seem cozy. And I really, really enjoyed this lived-in performance from Offerman.

The "plot" and the resolutions of the various conflicts are secondary and never feel terribly important. Some are resolved in a satisfactory way and others are virtually forgotten. It matters because it makes this movie feel somewhat incomplete as a story. But I still recommend going on this journey with these two characters.

I managed to catch this at a screening at the Edinburgh Film Festival. It was one of those bookings I took a risk on and knew very little about it apart from the fact Nick Offerman was the lead. Firstly this is a family focused feel good movie with a musical theme. If that doesn't sound like your thing then its not for you. We have Nick Offerman looking like an angry old owl who is a widower and has a musically talented daughter, Sam played by Kiersey Clemons. Sam is preparing to leave for medical school and her father is featuring less in her life as a result. The father and daughter make music together for fun, hence the musical content of the movie. Sam has also just started a same sex relationship with an artist, so we have a three way love tug of war centring on whether the daughter will leave her new love and father behind, just when the family band have a possibility of commercial success. That is all you need to know without giving any spoilers. What I did find interesting and authentic was the fact that they paid a fair bit of attention to the music making process, which as someone who is interested in this kind of thing is a bonus. We see them use MIDI keyboards, effects pedals on guitars and what also must be the first time Abelton Live and Push have been featured in a movie. Which is interesting in itself as the style of music played is not really the electronic kinds you would associate with Laptop driven music. The weaknesses I found in the story were funnily enough around the use of the internet, the main character is savvy enough to record and supposedly master (we never see this process) then upload his music to Spotify, but hasn't cottoned on to the fact he could be selling his music stock online as well? The music featured in the movie is basically Eno-esque indy pop by the family band with a bunch of other guitary indy type fodder. How much the music means to you will be down to your own tastes but music does feature heavily especially towards the finale. However as a feel good movie it definitely hits the mark and at no point during the movie did I feel a cringe or feel the story was becoming too sentimental, which is usually the case with these types of movies. This is an easy to watch movie and a rare exploration of the father daughter dynamic within a mixed race family over a shared love of music.

For a movie that has a lot on the platter, "Hearts Beat Loud" traverses what foreshadows to be rough waters with a calm, realistic paddle. It has the squeaky clean, educational discovery flavour of the "ABC Afterschool Specials" of TV past, without veering towards any convenient conclusions. The movie just plays out, which as it turns out, is part of its refreshing charm.

"Hearts" works best when focusing on the father-daughter dynamic which is the film's core, keying on Nick Offerman's perfectly understated role facing a personal crossroads struggle. Inserting veteran, recognizable faces Ted Danson and Blythe Danner proves distracting, as is the stilted Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) cameo. Confusing decisions for a film that aches to be small. Smartly, these are but brief interruptions and melt quickly into the background. This is a father film. Period.

As Frank, the judgemental owner of a struggling vinyl record shop, and a single parent to an itchy yet whip ass smart teen, Offerman brings a calm yet burning restraint when faced with major life decisions. His usual poker face satire stance from a wonderful comedic career, being replaced with a surprisingly dramatic nuanced one.

The movie lingers a tad too long on some pieces (warning: there is plenty of music, plus plenty of nerdy music references), and leaves much unresolved, but that just might be the point of delivering this sweet slice of casual life. Hearts actually beat soft.

• hipCRANK

This has 'nice movie' written all over it. And there's nothing wrong with that if that's what you're looking for.

Initially put this on as background noise, but it wasn't too long before I was paying attention and then 100% invested in its story.

Nick Offerman is a far cry from his Park & Rec. days and all the better for it. And Ted Danson's little role didn't hurt either.

The music, although very good, wasn't my bag. And Kiersey Clemons playing a late teen just didn't appeal to me.

This is one of those little indie gems that just sneaks up on you and smacks you right in between the eyes. You must do yourself a favour and check it out. Kiersey Clemons is a Star. And Nick Offerman is just... real, for lack of a better word.