Two passionate but terrible Icelandic musicians get the chance
to represent their home country in the Eurovision Song Contest. COMEDY
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Eurovision Song Contest:
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We Americans are often sheltered from the rest of the world in ways we don't really think about. For example, I had never heard of the Eurovision Song Contest before this movie, and apparently it's a very big deal to a big chunk of the world. Regardless, you don't have to know what the contest is to enjoy the movie. The Story of Fire Saga is an overblown, ridiculous parody of music-based dramas, but it's also a heartfelt, honest story about the importance of our dreams and who we choose to share them with. I'll be honest. The ending made me cry
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams have excellent chemistry, and they obviously steal the show as Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdottir, the wannabe musicians who make up Fire Saga, Iceland's worst band. They end up qualifying by sheer luck, and end up representing Iceland in Eurovision due to a horrific accident. But their passion is clear from the start, and the movie is pretty damn funny throughout. I enjoyed Dan Stevens' mustache-twirling Russian rival Alexander Lemtov, and Pierce Brosnan constantly saying how much he's ashamed of his son. Overall, solid cast and great script. This film got me choked up towards the end with the incredible song that caps off the contest for Iceland. Of course, McAdams didn't do her own vocals, but whoever did is a powerhouse who brought tears to my eyes. Ferrell has made a career out of parodying sports dramas (Blades of Glory), NASCAR (Talladega Nights), and now music dramas with Eurovision Song Contest. I say keep it up, because his track record speaks for itself at this point. |