Once More with Feeling (2009) starring Chazz Palminteri, Drea de Matteo, Linda Fiorentino, Lauren Bittner, Maria Tucci, Chris Beetem directed by Jeff Lipsky Movie Review

Once More with Feeling (2009)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Chazz Palminteri in Once More with Feeling (2009)

Once More With Tempo

I've always been a fan of Chazz Palminteri as he plays a certain type of character very well, usually a supporting character but he is just as good in lead roles. It is Palminteri's performance alongside that of Drea de Matteo who plays his daughter which makes "Once More with Feeling" bearable. I say that with a touch of sadness because the story to "Once More with Feeling" which can be summed up as a midlife crisis movie is good it is just the tone and general sense of lethargy which drags it down.

Psychiatrist Frank Gregorio (Chazz Palminteri) seems pretty content until one of his patients turns him on to karaoke singing and in doing so awaking a passion and dream he had long given up on. Under the pretence of planning to sing at his daughter's wedding he starts hitting the karaoke bars and strikes up a friendship with Lydia (Linda Fiorentino) who he meets in a bar. Meanwhile Frank's eldest Lana (Drea de Matteo) is suffering a bit of a mid life crisis as she is starting to feel less attractive and considering both plastic surgery and an affair.

Drea de Matteo in Once More with Feeling (2009)

So there are basically two stories going on in "Once More with Feeling", there is the story of Frank who after having repressed his desire to be a singer suddenly finds that passion reinvigorated through karaoke. But his sudden obsession with singing leads to some issues from his wife thinking he is being a fool to a friendship with Lydia who he meets in a bar. Alongside this we have the story of his daughter Lana who is feeling unloved, old and fat and so is contemplating an affair with a cop. These two stories interweave as both father and daughter suffer this sort of midlife crisis all of which has moments of humour and humorous drama.

But the trouble with "Once More with Feeling" is that it is slow going to the point it is hard work. It is so slow that so much of the humour ends up failing because it is drawn out which is a shame as the actual acting is not bad with Chazz Palminteri and Drea de Matteo delivering better performances than the movie ends up deserving.

What this all boils down to is that "Once More with Feeling" has a good story and good performances as well as good music. But it is a movie which could have done with a match under its backside as its lethargic nature ruins it.


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