Irish director John Carney has created a filmography rooted in his love for music. Carney's first hit, Once, reached screens in 2007 with a story about two unlikely partners who made music together. Carney, who followed with other films that fit his mold, now delivers Power Ballad, which feels familiar but dips its toe into the world of rock stardom.
Paul Rudd plays Rick Powers, a once rising rock star who settled in Ireland, married Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), and raised a daughter (Beth Fallon) who's now a teenager.
As his dreams of stardom faded, Rick supported himself as a singer and guitarist with Bride and Groove, a band that specializes in wedding parties. Bride and Grove works from a popular hit list, doing energetic covers of songs meant to keep a dance floor hopping.
On one such gig, Rick meets Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a young singer who made it big with a boy band and who's trying to launch a solo career. Danny happens to be a guest at the wedding, and Rick and Danny spend a post-party evening jamming and talking about writing songs. Rick shares one of his songs, How to Write a Song Without You.
The movie then leaps ahead. Danny has returned to the US, where his agent (Jack Reynor) informs him that only a breakthrough tune will establish his independence and maintain the standard of living he achieved as a boy-band phenom.
Danny writes a bridge to How to Write a Song and steals the rest. Before you can say, "Of course it's a major hit," the song becomes a major hit, and Danny regains his stardom.
When Rick discovers that his tune has become popular, he tumbles into a mixture of depression, self-loathing, and, yes, satisfaction -- at last, one of his tunes has connected with a large audience.
Power Ballad expands on Rudd's affable persona, allowing Rudd to turn Rick into a manic guy who's obsessed with getting his due. Rick even enlists a bandmate (Paul Reid) to travel to the US to confront Danny. Mostly, Rick wants Danny to confirm that he stole the song. Rick has no proof of authorship, and no one believes his claim.
Too formula-averse to turn Rick into an unalloyed hero, Carney also refuses to turn the undeniably talented Danny into a pop-star jerk. Self-doubt undermines Rick's quest for recognition, and Danny wrestles with his conscience. Should he explain what happened and get on with it? His manager dissuades him.
The long-awaited face-off between Rick and Danny takes place in a hot tub at one of Danny's LA parties, an over-the-top crescendo that feels silly and strained.
Of course, there's plenty of music and a near-overexposure of the film's signature tune. Carney's at his best when the film operates in the minor key of the wedding band, a group that, aside from Rick, has accepted its role as a party band.
Carney also makes sure to acknowledge his respect for people who make music regardless of their circumstances. A street musician, seen a couple of times, underscores the idea that music belongs to everyone.
Building toward a crowd-pleasing coda, Power Ballad qualifies as an anomaly, an upbeat drama about the downside of dreams, as well as an ode to the power of song. Rudd does his own singing, and Jonas, a member of the Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band that split up in 2013 and reunited six years later, knows this turf.
Whatever the movie's weaknesses, one thing remains clear: Carney still fuels his work with an infectious love for music and the people who make it.
