I'd Rather You Didn't

Rating: 4/10 (11 July 2014)

You've got to hand it to Keira Knightly; not content with spending twenty-one years proving she can't act she now goes one better and removes another string from a badly depleted bow by proving she can't sing either. I actually shelled out good money to watch this because someone told me that the soundtrack featured Frank Sinatra performing Luck Be ALady. That was true enough albeit it was truncated and for good measure we also got abridged versions of two more REAL songs, As Time Goes By and For Once In My Life. And there lies the main flaw in the film. The two leads, Keightly and Mark Ruffalo play respectively a performer (I use the word loosely) and a failed record producer. Having spent an hour or so producing little more than sounds set to a beat they suddenly decide to reveal to each other the kind of music they actually listen to in private and this is where we get the three 'standards' mentioned above. What is totally bewildering, however, is that having shown they are both aware and appreciative of real music they proceed to return to the dross they have been turning out rather than attempting to emulate Loesser, Hupfield etc. I have no doubt this will find its audience though you probably won't see them in daylight.