Pacino on song...

Al Pacino brings all of his post-Scent Of A Woman baggage to the role of Danny Collins, a washed-up roc💎ker who&r🅘squo;s become a parody of his former self.

And while seeing the little big man shimmy-shake on stage and croak behind a grand piano is frankly disturbing, there can be no doubt that Pacino understands what it is to feel debilitated as an artist; that he chooses to s🎐hare thos🌠e feelings is both courageous and, it seems, reinvigorating, for this is his best performance for longer than anyone would care to remember.

With a third volume of his greatest hits 🅷newly released and a cash-in tour underway, Danny is gifted a belated wakeup call in the form of a letter from John Lennon. Written more than 40 years ago, when Collins was a Dylan-esque singer-songwriter on the cusp of stardom, it warns of the pitfalls of fame. (This really did happen to English folk singer Steve Tilston; a caption at the start of the movie tells us it’s “Kind of based on a true story a little bit”.)

Just like that, Danny ditches the tour, the drugs and the age-inappropriate relationship, instead checking in to the New Jersey Hilt𒐪on to write new material and visit the estranged son (Bobby Cannavale, revelatory) he had with a groupie.

The directing debut of screenwriter Dan Fogelman (澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Last Vegas, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Crazy, Stupid, Love), Danny Collins is a familiar redemption drama built upon a bassline of clichés but played with enough dexterity to cheer crowds. It’s ♏hardly an interior turn from Pacino, who turns up the charisma for often comic effect, but there’s enough introspective quietude to render a largerthan- life star (be it Collins or 🍬Pacino) human, and there’s much to be said for bouncing off a terrific support cast that includes Jennifer Garner, Annette Bening and Christopher Plummer.

Be warned, though: Danny’s signaಞture anthem ‘Hey, Baby Doll’ is ಌan unshakeable earworm. Bring earplugs for the gig scenes.