One More Time

Jude (Amber Heard) is a singer and songwriter struggling to make it out of the shadows of her famous father Paul Lombard (Christopher Walken). She's a mess. She returns home to his estate where he reminisces about the good old days and dreams of a comeback opening for The Flaming Lips. Her sister Corinne (Kelli Garner) lives there with her husband Tim (Hamish Linklater) and their son David. Jude has a history with Tim. There's her stepmother Lucille (Ann Magnuson) and manager friend Alan (Oliver Platt).

Walken is nice and the movie works with him best. Heard is playing a more worn-down sad bitter character. It's harder to watch with her as the lead. Another actress would have more fun with the character. It needs some comedy to balance out the darker material. Also her singing isn't great. This does have some appeal but it doesn't make it as indie fare. Honestly, this would be more interesting with Walken as the lead.

I love Christopher Walken but I can't finish this garbage. I've skipped most of the first 40 minutes of this and can't torture myself any further.

The main actress cannot act and fails miserably at embracing her character. All other actors also leave much to be desired, except for Walken, who does what he can with his character.

Much of the first 40 minutes is a lot of talking about nothing, pretending to be one of those movies where the dialogue is actually good and worthy of filling up 40 minutes of anything.

"Just because you can't be someone new doesn't mean you can't do something new" Jude (Amber Heard)

To see Christopher Walken sing as a has-been crooner is to remember he started as an entertainer who could dance pretty meanly on the stage. Here he features an original song written by his character, Paul Lombard, in his sunset years hoping for a new musical start.

One More Time is indeed about one more chance, not just for Paul but also his 31-year old daughter, Jude, who has some singing/writing gifts she is weakly promoting. Typically, she has to deal with her father's fame and her own inability to stay anchored in a place that's both physical and figurative.

Like dad, Jude doesn't always do what's best for her (both of them sexually vulnerable), and like him she needs another chance as the title suggests. The most satisfactory moments are when the two go after each other's weaknesses, a form of tough love that allows both actors to sharpen their craft. When he comments that they live in "the poor part of the Hamptons," you are aware that they both live in an alternate universe where "poor" is a relative term. Like their lives, not everything is as it really is.

The most normal conflict of the film comes when Paul's wife, Lucille (Ann Magnuson), starts divorce proceedings because of Paul's infidelities. Out of this discomforting circumstance comes a chance for conservative daughter, Corinne (Kelli Garner), to show her more aggressive side, another case of a character getting a chance.

One more time is a small film that will leave Christopher Walken fans wanting more of his sneer and world weary irony, yet as a washed up but returning pop entertainer, his character seems to fit the actor one more time.

"It's not a comeback, I never went anywhere." Jude (Heard) lives her life on her own terms and does what she wants. Unfortunately this doesn't turn out like she hopes and is forced to move back home. When her famous singer father Paul (Walken) tells the family he is beginning his comeback old tensions rise up. Now Jude, her sister and her father are all clashing in a typical dysfunctional family fashion with only two outcomes, work together and become closer, or lose everything. This is not a bad movie at all. The actors are all very good and the story is interesting and watchable. The music is good and I enjoyed everything about this. The only problem was that when it was over my reaction was pretty much, well, that was OK. This is nothing that is so good to talk to everyone about, nor bad enough to tell people not to watch. While I liked the movie I think the sign of a really good one is that it makes you feel something, this one didn't. Overall, a movie that is watchable and entertaining, but it is really just that. Not good or bad, just watchable. I give this a B-.

Although there are story elements to "One More Time" that I liked and it's a real shame that the film hampers itself by making it so difficult for the audience to care about the folks in the picture. To me, it's almost impossible to make a really good film given this serious handicap.

When the film begins, Jude (Amber Heard) is awakening from a one- night stand. She's overslept and is late for work...and folks are waiting and waiting for her to arrive. Apparently, this isn't unusual for Jude. What is unusual is her soon leaving New York City to go stay with her father, famous old-time crooner Paul Lombard (Christopher Walken). Apparently, their relationship is stormy but she has no choice as she's about to be thrown out of her apartment for not paying her rent. But things aren't all rosy back with dad as their relationship, and every relationship in this odd family, is severely strained. Paul is a serial philanderer who only thinks of himself, Jude's sister is a demanding and rather high-strung young woman and the step-mother is nicknamed 'Satan' by her step-kids. Through the course of the film, most of these folks remain true to their life patterns...destroying themselves and those around them. And, by the end of the film, there's a vague suggestion that perhaps Jude is tired of all this. If this summary sounds a bit bleak and depressing, then you pretty much get the picture, though it at least has some nice singing throughout the film.

The movie has some nice acting. While I found it hard to believe Walken could be a crooner, it was an interesting character and a nice stretch for him. Heard also was able to show that she could not only act but sing rather nicely. But nice acting and an interesting location shoot in the Hamptons aren't enough and the film is one I wouldn't rush out to see but might perhaps might catch when it appears on Netflix one day when you are looking for an undemanding film. Not bad....but also not particularly enjoyable either.