My Own Love Song

I saw a preview for this film in Paris in the presence of both the director (Olivier Dahan, who is French) and Forest Whitaker. The director described it as simple and happy while Forest mentioned magic. They were both right. The film was beautiful. The whole room seemed completely taken in. Renee Zellweger was great and managed to make a number of the audience cry in her role as an ex-singer confined to a wheel chair. Forest Whitaker was fantastic as was Madeline Zima who I had not seen much previously and was very impressed by. The story was simple but moving and the pictures magical. There are a couple of brilliant characters that they meet on their travels too who lighten up what could have been a rather intense movie. I definitely recommend this film.

French director Dahan's first film set in post-Katrina Louisiiana and shot in English is a rambling, overly sentimental road picture about two damaged individuals who go on a quest. Zellwegger's paralyzed from a car accident seven years ago, when she met Whitaker in the hospital. He was there for mental problems. He still thinks he hears the voices of angels. They go off in an old Seventies car (which is later stolen) to see the author of a bestselling books on angels, and Whittiker's character wants to take Zellwegger to the birthday party of her little boy, who was adopted by a rich family when her injuries and poverty made her unable to raise him.

On the way they meet a run-down singer (Nick Nolte), something like Jeff Bridges' character in CRAZY HEART except that he only plays the guitar and has sunk so low he can only get gigs at an old hotel and that only if he brings a singer. So he persuades an unwilling Zellweger to come along and perform. There and at her son's birthday Zellwegger gives surprisingly powerful, earnest performances of two songs -- both written by Bob Dylan for this film. The colorful southern atmosphere and the Dylan compositions (which include his own very Tom-Waits-esquire performances on the soundtrack) may be the main reason for watching this otherwise weak effort. It would work better if Whitaker didn't give one of his most mannered performances and if the two principals were not written in as such hopeless losers. Poor critical rating in France: Allociné 1.2 (26). An error of taste, however well-meaning; the director is out of his element. Some will enjoy the music and the settings but this is at best an interesting failure despite the name cast.

I guess I saw a whole 'nother movie than the other reviewers, because I simply loved this film. Not that the comments and crits were wrong...sentimental, somewhat disjointed...but I found it moving and amusing and truly enjoyed the soundtrack. The small roles were perfect and the marshmallow whip on top was Zelweiger's riveting rendition of Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land"...unlike any other I'd ever heard...AND she sang my absolute favorite verse (the one about the No Trespassing sign..."but on the other side it didn't say nothing', that side was made for you and me").

It reminded me quite a bit of "Leaving Normal", another fave of mine...

Don't let these nay-sayers put you off this gem.

You've read the story in these critiques. It's a road movie about a small group of damaged characters in search of some undefined salvation in the form of a huckster who claims that angels exist. The Forrest Whitaker character, Joey, bothered me the most. The slow-witted crazy man with a heart of gold, who takes care of the paraplegic singer played by Renee Zellweger. The character is a movie cliché, straight out of Of Mice And Men, and Whitaker didn't bring anything new to it. Is he schizophrenic and off his meds? Is he bipolar and off his meds? Whatever, he only shows up in movies, not in real life. At one point, late in the story, there is a diversion into the "legend" of Robert Johnson losing his soul at the Crossroads in exchange for a supernatural ability on the guitar. Then: on to something else. It goes nowhere. What was the point? Is our little band of characters somehow like Robert Johnson? Apparently not, because the next sequence is a high-speed car chase down highway 61. There were some nice moments, but they were poorly strung together.

This film is about a wheelchair bound singer and a man with psychiatric problems who embark on a road trip to escape from their broken dreams in their hometown.

The initial twenty minutes are alright, portraying the love hate relationship between the two leads. However, once the angels and the fantasy elements set in, the film becomes chaos. What are those pastel birds doing on the streets? What about those images of angels in the sky? Instead of being innovative, it appears self indulgent and confusing. The pacing is so slow, with too many scenes that are made to look artistic but are so boring. The prime example is the scene when they sit under a tree lit in red. The scene is beautiful to look at but quite a torture to sit through.

The ending has the potential to be very emotional. However, it just does not have that effect. The ending has a heartfelt song, but there is inadequate closure. It is not uplifting or touching enough either. "My Own Love Song" could have been emotional and engaging, but it is a greatly misfired attempt.