A dúo (Duets)

If you missed "Duets" when it hit the theaters 4 years ago, this is a movie worth renting. This ensemble cast was great. They were all paired up and the chemistry was great. They all came from different backgrounds and my perception was, everyone except Paltrow were running away from something; Huey Lewis (his past), Andre Braugher (the law), Maria Bello (herself), Scott Speedman (His wife and business partner) and Paul Giamatti (his humdrum life and self-absorbed family), but karaoke will bring them all together.

Paul Giamatti and Andre Braugher were the best in this movie. Giamatti was funny, had that strange grin that tells you he's up to something or he's quickly scheming something. My favorite scenes with them were the shootout scene in the convenience store, Todd (Giamatti) teaching Reggie (Braugher) how to drive and their version of "Try a Little Tenderness" was fantastic.

Just as good was Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow's version of Smokey Robinson's "Crusin'".

I liked the movie and bought the DVD.

Trivia; The convenience store where Giamatti and Braugher got into a shootout with the clerk is located in Surrey, B.C. Canada. it's called the Campbell River Store. To get there, if you get off of I-5 North and take the Carson Truck Boarder exit, headed into Canada; It's about 1/2 mile or so north of the boarder.

I discovered this movie a couple of years ago and was charmed by its fragile characters and beautiful soundtrack that seems to create character depth that the script doesn't. Huey Lewis (Ricky Dean) was, surprisingly, very strong in his role as a reluctant father to Gwyneth Paltrow's character, Liv. While I found some of the acting to be wooden, and the direction was often predictable, there is something that appealed to me - I feel that the characters spoke through the music rather than the narrative, thus lifting the movie to a higher level. A mention also has to go to Braugher and Giamatti who are a delightful combination right up to the heartbreaking climax.

I often wonder why I watch so many movies, and why I love them so. It isn't because they often explore new territory or challenge my intellect, but then there's a whole public library and a Barnes and Noble in every strip mall for that. No, I think it must be the escapist delight of allowing myself to be absorbed for a couple of hours in a well-crafted imaginary world where unbelievable things happen to unrealistic people. It's a guilty pleasure, but hey, sometimes I eat my dessert first. I can handle the guilt.

With that said, as guilty pleasures go, this dessert is a banana split for two with extra nuts and cherries. And one spoon. Huey Lewis and the incomparable Gwyneth Paltrow are a father daughter team trying to get acquainted on the karaoke circuit. He's a karaoke hustler (who knew) and she's a third generation Las Vegas showgirl who is at once worldly and naive.

Paul Giamatti is a shocker. He's amazing as the frustrated salesman who's out "for a pack of cigarette." Along the way, he encounters Reggie Kane (Andre Braugher) a convict on the lam whose quiet desperation is a stark contrast to Giamatti's wanton abandon.

Maria Bello is hilarious as the resourceful bohemeian chasing a dream of big money. Angie Dickenson graces the scene with a tasty cameo. And then there's the singing. OK, Todd Rundgren isn't worried about Giamatti's rendition of the classic "Hello it's Me", and Andre used a voiceover, but Gwyneth can really sing, and her duet with Babyface in the closing credits is a chart-topper in anybody's book.

Directed by Gwyneth's dad Bruce, in his first feature since graduating from the small screen, the word "Duets" describes this enjoyable film in more ways than one. But in the end, the duet that matters is just you and this wonderful little film.

"Duets" is definitely outside of what I had expected it to be... it is outside of the only-on-it-for-the-money, watch-the-weekend-grosses Hollywood sell-out that everyone complains about. It is a wonderful story, full of surprises and charm. The characters are 3-dimensional, to be sure. Their stories are not always pretty, and certainly not predictable. I was always entertained, engrossed, and ultimately very uplifted. Huey lewis could make it as an actor, and Gwyneth Paltrow could make it as a singer, both without any gimmicky "pr" work to present them as a stunt. They, and the entire cast of unknown actors were top-notch here. The music is real, and means something to the movie, and it all meant a lot to me. Go see it-- it has tons of heart, and soul. You'll like it. I gave it an 8 out of 10.

I admit it -- I'm a total sucker for this movie for all of the right reasons, and some of the wrong ones (like, it's very touching to me that Bruce Paltrow made this movie with his daughter Gwyneth and died a year or so later). Having Huey Lewis in the movie and singing a few of his monster hits is a plus all by itself, and it turns out he can actually act decently. The Paul Giamatti - Andre Braugher duo, both in terms of plot, their excellent acting, and their blow-you-away singing performance, is something I never tire of seeing, and I've watched this movie five times and have it on disk. The plot is superficially pedestrian but actually very engaging and psychologically legitimate despite the displays of craziness by the characters. People do get crazy and do that kind of stuff. As for Gwyneth Paltrow, there seems to be no role she can't get into and occupy with beautiful effect.

This was never intended to be a Great Movie. It was a nice little story, made into a very fine, charming, stick-to-your memory movie with talent oozing out the corners. People who rate it mediocre are just not seeing the pearl for the oyster.