Directed by: John Carney
Starring: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Beth Fallon, Jack Reynor
Rick Power (Rudd) is an American living in Ireland who once dreamed of music stardom many moons ago. He is much in love with his wife Rachel (Plunkett) and adores his daughter Aja (Fallon) while working as a wedding singer. His band works steadily, and at one wedding in the Irish countryside, Rick learns pop star Danny Wilson (Jonas) is the groom's best friend and will be attending. Danny is even convinced to join the band for a number. Afterward, Rick and Danny bond over beers, weed, and a love of music over the course of one night. They appear to strike a friendship, Ricks plays a song called |"How to Write a Song (Without You)" which he wrote many years ago. Danny loves it and promptly tells Rick to look him up if he's ever in Los Angeles. We get the feeling he has made that hollow promise to many people over the years.
Danny is looking to shed his former boy band image and embark on a lucrative solo career, but he's stuck artistically and his manager is looking to drop him if he doesn't produce a hit. He plays Rick's song to his girlfriend, who is wowed and convinces him to record. The song becomes a worldwide smash and makes Danny an adored superstar. Rick is miffed that his song was stolen, and is unable to convince his wife, daughter, and bandmates that he wrote it years ago. He has no evidence of having ever recorded it or wrote it, and Danny can easily dismiss Rick's claims. What makes Danny interesting is that we know he stole Rick's song, but we understand his motives and he is ambivalent about it. He urges his manager to pay off Rick and give him writing credit, but that may destroy Danny's reputation. Rick meanwhile travels to LA to confront Danny, which doesn't give Rick a satisfactory resolution.
Power Ballad involves us from the very beginning in Rick's story. He gave up his dreams of music superstardom once he married and became a father. He never lost his love for music, but he's content with his life and family. Meeting Danny doesn't make him pine to become a rock god, he only wants the credit coming to him and the forever link to a hit song (and its royalties). The only time Rick grows salty is when he bans playing the song during his performances, even though it's heavily requested. It's understandable. Power Ballad is an overall moving experience in which Danny isn't really a villain and Rick isn't a hero. Both are just men trying to get by in the world, and we can identify with them both. The ending is also a winner.
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