Review: Christopher Walken Wins ‘One More Time’

 

When the free-spirited but flailing songbird Jude, played by Amber Heard, finds herself without a place to live, she goes back to the only place she knows; Home sweet home. In this case home is the estate of famous crooner father Paul Lombard, played by Christopher Walken, where Jude quickly falls back into the same vices and frictions at this family camp filled with so much unfinished business. While Jude finds the lifestyle her father has built to be alienating and destructive, she soon begins to see him in a new light as she further defines who she herself is, and wants to be.

 

Cinematics (Cinematography, Acting, Etc.) – 3.5

When a struggling musician (Amber Heard) finds herself without a place to live and a lack of directions, she reluctantly moves back in with her aging crooner father (Christopher Walken) who’s in the midst of a comeback.’One More Time’ does well to highlight Walken’s quirkier side, with his increasingly self-absorbed character spending much of his screen-time getting stoned, obsessively editing his Wikipedia page and often ranting about how VH1 has never done a “Behind the Music” about his career scores and scandals.

Writer-director Robert Edwards does well to create a cooky and rich backstory for Walken’s long famous character, adorning the halls of the family estate with album covers from Lombard’s unlikely endeavors into psychedelia and hip hop. Edwards does well to fill the screen with nuance and texture to the point that the audience really feels acquainted with the delightfully colorful yet dysfunctional family. Edwards raises many issues or morality and family as well as exploring how certain coping mechanisms can inevitable become more destructive than soothing.

 

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Click HERE for FilmFad’s exclusive interview with ‘One More Time’ writer and director Robert Edwards.

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Walken is an absolute treat in this film. It is a shame that this is the first film in a long time to feature Walken as a lead actor (ignoring NBC’s failed attempt at ‘Peter Pan Live’). What’s perhaps the biggest travesty, that this film has not been given the proper buzz befitting an actor of Walken’s caliber. His crooning character covers all bases with ample humor, romance, and a vividly portrayed relationship with eldest daughter Jude, played by Heard.

Amber Heard is a surprising standout amongst the cast. Her story of hopelessness and lack of direction is one that many in their late 20s and early 30s would be able to identify with. Heard also really nails the creative vibe, bringing a level of neurosis and moral ambiguity that makes sense for the daughter of a famous long-time musician.

 

Entertainment Value – 3

Throughout the film it is hard not to get mesmerized by Walken’s song-and-dance talents, where he croons and sways his way into the audience’s good graces. Walken’s talent is thoroughly genuine and his buttery well-aged, experienced voice makes his take on Paul Lombard seem real and believable.

The musical segments are really the high points throughout the film. As far as lyrical content and overall song quality go, both Heard and Walken enchant in their own way. The music also doubles as a narrative to the film. Still, my favorite bit of the film was seeing the family dynamic play out, especially at the dinner table scenes.

 

Re-Watchability – 3

While the overall film may suffer from a bit of loose tone and unevenness, overall ‘ONE MORE TIME’ is well-worth seeing for Walken and Heard’s spot-on performances, with both of them clearly relishing the opportunity to stretch their acting muscles. It’s briskly paced, well-textured quaint indie film and far better in quality than its simple title and low-scale release would suggest. ‘One More Time’ is well worth watching at-least, one more time.