Nice notes in a too-simple tune
Many fine small moments pepper the family dramedy “One More Time,” but they don’t add up to a satisfying enough whole.
The film, written and directed by Robert Edwards, gives veteran actor Christopher Walken a meaty supporting role as Paul Lombard, a washed-up crooner once called the King of Romance.
But it’s Amber Heard as Paul’s cheeky singersongwriter daughter, Jude, who really rocks. She’s superb.
Jude, a quasi-train wreck with career, romantic and financial issues, shows up on her father’s Hamptons doorstep after she’s evicted from her Brooklyn apartment.
Paul, a recovered alcoholic angling for a comeback, loves and respects Jude — that is, in his own uniquely self-involved way.
Jude, however, is less forgiving of her flighty, cavalier dad who, she believes, chose commerce over art. Still, they share a frank, informal dynamic that largely bypasses the typical Sturm und Drang.
How Jude decides to get on with her life and, to some extent, square things with Paul comprises the bulk of the low-key narrative.
Several nice musical interludes and memorylane strolls, plus less cogent conflicts involving Jude’s tightly wound sister, Corinne (Kelli Garner); Corinne’s husband — and Jude’s ex — Tim (Hamish Linklater); and Paul’s latest wife, the tippling Lucille (Ann Magnuson), augment the slender plot. “One More Time.” Not rated. Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes. Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills.