I once heard a country song on the radio about a sad dog that was lost and trying to find his way. Well, that song reminds me a lot of the new over-hyped film “Country Strong,” a melodramatic tale of a country superstar who, like the dog, is sad, lost … and I couldn’t care less.
Predictability and mostly one-dimensional characters are the main problems behind this movie.
The film is mostly focused on the story of country star Kelly Canter, played by a talented but at times vocally limited Gwyneth Paltrow. The film begins right after Canter comes back from a short stint in rehab for alcoholism, still a mess and still depressed. But at least she’s still a country superstar, right?
Oh but here comes the one, and probably only, plot twist. Her husband James, played by the good-looking but unfortunately one-dimensional Tim McGraw, thinks the best rehab for her is the music and the stage (the money might not be so bad either).
Though it’d be easy to typecast James as the villain, he’s just a nice guy and a caring husband, despite some moments in the plot that should indicate otherwise.
Canter is also looked after and cared for by fellow country singer Beau Hutton (Garrett Hedlund).
So why is Canter still so sad? She has two nice guys in her life, she’s talented (or depicted as so, but in reality Paltrow should probably stick to singing Cee Lo Green covers) and other than the brief threat of a younger country star (played by Leighton Meester, who finally steps outside her Upper East Side Blair Waldorf character), nothing indicates why Canter should be so unhappy.
Director Shana Feste alludes to Canter’s previous miscarriage as a cause for her depressive, self-destructive behavior, but she never fully explores the character’s past.
Paltrow, Hedlund and Meester all shine with the material they’re given, but the material doesn’t give them much to work with.
There are sweet moments in the movie, like the budding romance between Hedlund and Meester’s characters. But otherwise the movie is a drag, and Canter’s perpetual need to be depressed is the cause.
The resolution is unsettling as well, but I don’t want to give any of the very predictable plot away.
If you’re looking for an uplifting country-infused movie, go see last year’s “Crazy Heart.” If you’re looking for a movie to fuel your sadness, then go see “Country Strong.”
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‘Country Strong’ proves to be weak, packs little punch
Daily Emerald
January 9, 2011
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