Predictable, but powerful

Rating: 8/10 (7 October 2018)

This movie really should have felt cliche. We have (literally) seen this story before, after all. Repeatedly. Add in a movie star wanting to be a director and a singer wanting to be an actor...well, I wondered how often I would roll my eyes. But I didn't. Not even once. The first moment when they meet feels real. The first moment when Jackson calls Ally out on stage is absolutely electric. From that point on, it is just hard not to care. Everything works. In fact, I forgot about the performances and just fell into the story. So it may not be the most original movie (and perhaps the first half was stronger than the second half), but it is a story well told, nonetheless.