Moonlight Serenade

I was in the mood to watch something with Amy Adams in it and came across 'Moonlight Serenade'. A film about music and with Adams singing, what's not to look forward to? I thought it would be a pleasant break from the overload of action, thriller and toilet humour comedies scattering theatres these days.

However, 'Moonlight Serenade' could have easily been a stronger movie. The story is very simplistic and has been witnessed before as it's very much the typical musician story. The execution is a big let down. It has a TV movie feel to it. The cinematography is flat and the pace is quite slow. The atmosphere in the film feels dull too.

I liked how the songs were placed smoothly into the situations like part of the story.

Alec Newman, Amy Adams and Harriet Sansom Harris perform excellently. It's good to finally see Harris in a movie with a substantial role for her and she sings very well too. Even though I personally didn't like all the songs, Newman and Adams sing beautifully. So what 'Moonlight Serenade' has working for it are the performances.

Amy Adams' exceptional singing voice is just about the only thing that Moonlight Serenade has to sell. I would never expect greatness from a 90 minute, indie flick that did not get commercial release, but this one left me disappointed. Amy Adams is not exactly a cheap b-movie star. If I had managed to cast her, I would make sure I gave her a script that was worth her time. I would not be so lazy as to resort to a recycled formula, which this is. The story is also sappy, superficial and it feels over rushed. Even the music numbers are too short. If Enchanted was too sappy for you, I hate to say it, but you won't get any luckier here.

This is a small scale romance between two musicians who lead different lives. The two are not so much victims of circumstance but rather of coincidence (and not the good kind). The story doesn't even attempt to go into depth with them, preferring to offer a couple of lame time-lapse montage from which we are meant to assume that they are making progress in their relationship. But as a lawyer will tell ya, nothing is true without the facts, and we cannot believe it till we see it. There are also a few show stopping numbers, which take place outside the context of the story. Seeing as this is not a musical nor a fairy tale, it feels equally lame (As if people break out into song in real life).

All that Moonlight Serenade has to offer are a few segments of Jazz tunes (and maybe one complete tune), scattered throughout a feeble love story, which has been done before (and I have a feeling it will be done again for years to come)

I watched this film because I thought it would be a classic Amy Adams movie. Wow, this movie is so bad on so many levels it staggers the imagination. It is poorly constructed for one, also the script and the acting is just awful. But hey even Johnny Depp has a slew of bad films under his belt. The upside of this movie would be Amy singing, and even on that score I believe better songs could have been chosen. Amy is of course beautiful to see and if you are a die-hard fan of hers you will probably watch this title no matter what, just don't expect too much. I wish I could have found more to like but it was just painful to watch. I recommend Sunshine Cleaning or Doubt.

I confess I found this film irresistible. It's primarily a vehicle for a terrific score, consisting almost entirely of the superb performances and arrangements of Joey DeFrancesco (Frank D). What a pleasant showcase for classics from sorely missed show tunes and jazz of the 40's and 50's, all capably rendered by Amy Adams and Scott G. Anderson. DeFrancesco, incidentally, not only plays the Hammond B, but also piano and trumpet in the movie score (though his Frank D is seen performing only on the Hammond B in the film itself). The film seems to have been somewhat inspired by Steve Koves' Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), though it's not up to the outstanding production values of that film, or the first-rate performances of Jeff and Beau Bridges and (especially) Michelle Pfeiffer, who received an Academy Award nomination. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed Moonlight Serenade for ALL the reasons that others who posted here have already pointed out. It was great to hear these wonderful, time-tested classical popular and jazz compositions again. I own the film and would love to find the sound track, but no luck so far.

I love Amy Adams, I love to hear her sing. Scott Anderson also has a good voice...but...OMG, he can't act. I just didn't believe anything about his character. He was as stiff as a board, even when he was singing. He needs to take a clue from great actors, and show some emotion on his face.

I did enjoy the supporting actress; she's been in a lot of other movies, but I never knew she could sing. A really nice song and the director put in some very nice cut-aways during her song.

I just don't think Amy Adams can do a bad movie. I just love watching her in everything she does.