PROS AT WORK
Danny Collins’ plot is nothing surprising, but an all-star cast including Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer make it happen,
Danny Collins (out of 4) Starring Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Christopher Plummer, Jennifer Garner and Bobby Cannavale. Directed by Dan Fogelman. 107 minutes. Opens Friday at major theatres. 14A
The marquee reads: “Danny Collins: Sold Out.”
It also serves as a definition of the artistic integrity of aging rocker Danny, played with slick zeal by Al Pacino in Danny Collins. He’s a soft-middled Tom Jones sort who’s been packing stadiums and his bank account on the strength of formula-written, singalong hits for more than 30 years.
Screenwriter Dan Fogelman ( The Guilt Trip; Crazy, Stupid, Love), directing for the first time here, was inspired by real-life British folksinger Steve Tilston, who worried about fame in a magazine interview. John Lennon (and Yoko Ono) wrote Tilston a letter in response, only discovered decades after the singer-song- writer’s death.
Slope-shouldered and leading with his pouchy tummy as he shuffles along, Danny relies on spray tans, good hair and coke to keep stage ready and drown out doubts. He could have been a Bob Dylan-style troubadour; instead he’s singing his gooey hit ditty “Hey Baby Doll” to packed houses of swaying seniors. The money’s good, but the soulstealing is getting harder to bear.
In his “plus” column, there’s the hot young fiancée, fancy cars and an L.A. mansion. But only his longtime manager and best friend Frank (Christopher Plummer in fine form here) tells him the truth about how things are.
When the letter Lennon wrote after reading Danny’s self-doubting freshman magazine interview finally catches up with him 40 years later, it sparks a change. Danny decides to hole up in, of all places, a New Jersey Hilton, where he can write meaningful songs in his room and get his mojo back along with free Wi-Fi.
The place has a nice lobby bar and a smart and lively hotel manager, Mary Sinclair (Annette Bening), who catches Danny’s eye. She quickly proves she’s no pushover, but Danny likes a challenge.
Turns out he’s not just in Jersey for the nightlife. Since you can’t have a movie about an aging rocker without including a reunion with a long-lost kid, it’s time for Danny to reconnect with his adult son Tom (Bobby Cannavale), a product of a long-ago backstage encounter.
Tom has never met his phantom father and wants no part of him, although his pregnant wife Samantha (Jennifer Garner) is prepared to be convinced. Their cute but often- frantic daughter, Hope, provides a good way for Danny to insert himself into their lives.
As fun as it is to watch Pacino enjoying himself onscreen, he’s never convincing as a rock star. He may be one of the world’s greatest actors, but his onstage take on the classic band welcome to screaming fans: “Hello, L.A.!” sounds like he’s calling bingo rather than pushing it to 11.
Director Fogelman keeps it simple and surprise-free right down to the heavily engineered romance between two hotel employees, and repeating themes about the past catching up with you frame most of the action. Karma, instant or delayed, is a you-know-what, man.
But it’s never dull to watch pros like Pacino, Bening, Plummer, Garner and Cannavale interact — this is dream casting — and the film makes the most of that, along with a pleasingly comprehensive Lennon soundtrack. As a result, Danny Collins works, despite predictability and some overly sentimental patches. No need to fix it in the mix.