Directed by Bruce Paltrow, and starring daughter Gwyneth Paltrow - alongside 80's icon Huey Lewis - Duets is a tuneful trek across the states with three mismatched karaoke couples.
Paltrow plays Liv, a teenage Las Vegas singer who is reunited with estranged father - and karaoke hustler - Ricky Dean (Lewis) after the death of her mother. Joining this uneasy new family are the unlikely partnership of stressed theme park rep Todd Woods (Paul Giamatti) and armed robber Reggie Kane (Andre Braugher), along with the talented-but-trashy Suzy Loomis and hapless cabby Billy Hannon (Scott Speedman).
Only uniting the cast at the final contest venue, Duets - for the most part - charts the developing relationships between each unlikely couple; from the tragi-comedy of Reggie and Todd, to the reckless arrogance of Suzy and bewilderment of the luckless Scott. Hardly box-office-smash material, especially when hindered by its limited British release, Duets is nevertheless an enjoyable movie, benefiting greatly from the genuine singing talents, not least of which belongs to Paltrow, of its eclectic cast.
Though understandable that Bruce Paltrow's search for a female lead may stop with his Oscar-winning daughter, Gwyneth wears the role a little uneasily, with her greater years often showing through the teenage façade. This said, Duets is a fun but forgettable movie that will have you humming your way home.
