|
Country Strong
| Released |
25 March 2011 |
| Director |
Shana Feste |
Starring
|
Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester |
| Writer(s) |
Shana Feste |
| Producer(s) |
Jenno Topping, Tobey Maguire |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
117 minutes |
| Genre |
Drama, music |
| Rating |
12A |
|
|
All American soap opera.
Here’s an interesting exercise: without the benefit of Wikipedia, see how many of Gwyneth Paltrow’s many film roles you can call to mind. My grand total was two- the bafflingly Oscar winning Shakespeare In Love and her most recent appearances in the Iron Man series. With the list open in front of me, it turns out I have seen the vast majority of her film roles but they have all faded into a fog of obscurity. Her performances are never impressive or provocative, she is just there- beautiful but bland, a Monet print on the wall of a doctor’s waiting room.
In a year’s time though I might just remember to add Country Strong to my list of two. Paltrow plays Kelly Canter, an alcoholic country-pop singer who leaves rehab just a little too early to go back on the road for a comeback tour. Along for the ride are her manager husband James (Tim McGraw), her country singing lover Beau (Garrett Hedlund) and the young and beautiful pretender to her crown, Chiles (Leighton Meester). A soapy concoction of romantic entanglements and alcohol-fuelled breakdowns ensue and while it’s all a little too predictably melodramatic (and a little too long), it is raised above TV movie status by some interesting characters and impressive performances.
Paltrow’s portrayal of Canter is nicely nuanced. Her music may be a good ol’ Shania Twain concoction of spunky roadhouse anthems and tedious ballads but off stage, she is a compelling mess of acid tongued ambition and intense vulnerability. Tim McGraw also excels as Canter’s manager husband; at first he looks like the villain of the piece but is gradually revealed as a victim of Canter’s tantrums and demons. The two younger actors are a little weaker, particularly Meester, who makes Chiles a little too sugary for comfort. Still, as an ensemble the foursome play well against each other.
All in all, the music may be rubbish and the story a little soapy for the tastes of many but Country Strong is certainly worth a look, if only to give you a head start on the Paltrow game.
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Linda O’Brien |
