Country Strong (2010)

Sorry, this movie sucks

hyped garbage

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Country Strong (2010): Dir: Shana Feste / Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester, Marshall Chapman: Why this film is called Country Strong is a mystery because it is a total downward spiral that goes totally against the notion of surviving fame. Director Shana Feste also wrote the screenplay and it shows that writing is not her strong point. She opens the film effectively with Gwyneth Paltrow as Kelly Canter, country music icon released from rehab after a stint that caused her a miscarriage in Dallas. We know from the start that she will struggle with addiction during her comeback tour but it is the slap in the face conclusion that left viewers groaning. Is Canter's fate really the material that the title describes? Paltrow can sing and puts on a great Dallas concert but much of the film she is in agony, and her manager / husband played by Tim McGraw is a wealth seeking prude who never realizes his pig-headed mistake until it is too late. Together they make for one depressing couple to spend ninety plus minutes to watch. Then there is Garrett Hedlund as newcomer Beau who has sexual relations with Canter and a new performer Chiles Stanton. These relations bare no emotion and basically paint Beau as an unsympathetic caregiver. Only Leighton Meester as Chiles is remotely interesting as she struggles with stage fright then becomes a new sensation who is seemingly taught how to be level by sex banger Beau and drunk and destructive Canter. Technically well made film about the illusions of fame but the result is a film that is hardly strong. Score: 4 ½ / 10

A guy wearing a cowboy hat, boots, jeans, and flannel shirt parks his piece of junk pick-up truck and carries his acoustic guitar as he walks into a bar on a Saturday night. He doesn't play the guitar particularly well or sing particularly well, but the crowd (especially the women) is mesmerized by his country-style machismo. If anyone reads this, they're probably laughing by now, but this is a scene in the movie, and as far as I can tell they expect you to take it seriously.Note: I've been to Texas. I've visited over half a dozen cities and town including Lubbock, Amarillo, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. I've even been to Lukenbach. The first time I visited Texas I wore some cowboy boots. I felt like an idiot. No one was wearing cowboy boots or cowboy hats. I think this mythical place where people wear flannel shirts, boots and hats only exists in some movie producers' mindsBut there's more. There's the has-been fading star struggling with addiction as she struggles to hold on to her career. There's the husband/manager who is more concerned with her career than her health. Then there's the young wannabe starlet trying to make it in the business. And for some reason, I can't figure it out, these people are adored by the multitudes of fans. If this were a comedy, I'd get it. But I think it's supposed to be taken seriously.The one highlight is Leighton Meester who plays the young wannabe. She's a very versatile actress, and her performance in this movie explains why she's in such high demand as an actress both on television and on the big screen.

Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a country music star with addiction problems. Her domineering husband manager James Canter (Tim McGraw) pulls her out of treatment early. They don't connect as a couple anymore. Beau Hutton (Garrett Hedlund) works at the rehab center. He befriends Kelly Canter as her sponsor and singing partner. Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meester) is a pretty young thing desperate to be a star.I just can't buy Gwyneth Paltrow as a country music star. To me, that's not her persona she's built over the years. She's a hardcore NYer and the southern accent just sound false. That taints the movie for me. The whole role just felt wrong to me and her singing isn't good enough. Tim McGraw needs more acting power. He probably needs more menace or something. Garrett Hedlund is unknown to me but he does a good job. And the story is a functional melodrama about these four damaged souls. It's just watchable enough to barely recommend.

If you love country music, this might very well be the movie you've been waiting for. Actually, this is a good movie even if you don't like country music.The storyline is really interesting and it is one of those cliché movies where you already know how it's going to end when you've barely started watching. There's just enough singing, just enough romance. It's not an empty movie. There is a lot of character and plot development and it is not hard to get attached easily to the characters. The cast does a terrific job as they're all very believable and talented. I don't really see anything negative about this movie, other than the fact that the ending may come off a little forced but it is not enough to ruin the movie. If you think about it for a while, it even ends up making sense. This is a movie I would definitely recommend.