Moonlight Serenade (2009)

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

In truth, any opportunity to see the film on the big screen is welcome.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

After recently watching the Disney movie Enchanted, I wanted to hear Amy Adams sing again in a different film, so when I stumbled upon this movie, I was excited to watch it. I read the reviews and was sad to see that the movie wasn't as great as others had hoped. I decided to watch the movie online, and judge it for myself. Well, I was really disappointed, and it wasn't even a movie that I think Amy Adams fans would like to see because it was boring and a waste of my time. A part of the way through I started skipping the office scenes, and just searching for the singing parts, or at least something happening with the plot or character development. Alec Newman's acting was very awkward, whether he was alone or interacting with others, and sadly, Amy's acting was the same way. I know every actor/actress has at least one bad movie in their repertoire, and this is definitely one of them for the main two actors. Just after finishing the movie, I was instantly thinking of ways that it could have been better. The story could have had so much more depth to it, and the writers could have explored more of the main character's background to give us some sympathy and feelings for them. I've read cheap romance novels that are better than this story simply because it has an interesting plot, more action, or just better writing. I love the songs that they chose for the movie, and Amy and Alec did a decent job with singing them, but they really could have used a singing coach, so they could have that unique voice that people hear when they listen to jazz. I thought the best singer was the club singer in the beginning of the movie. She had the appropriate voice for singing jazz music. I understand that this wasn't a largely funded movie, and how it was completed in 2005, but became a DVD in 2009, and there weren't really any popular actors in it (I don't think Amy Adams had become famous yet), but there was so much that could have been better, by doing something as simple as adding more interesting dialogue, and fixing the plot to spice it up. I think I'll stick to watching Enchanted and forget all about this movie, and how it was a big disappointment.

Golly gee, I enjoyed this movie for what it was: a light romantic movie full of songs from the great American songbook, sung completely and pretty good by the actual actors, with the greatest jazz music around. I liked the cast and thought they were all excellent (guess that shows how much I know about acting). And, I would not be nervous in watching the movie with my children!!! Oh how wonderful to hear great American classic songs again! Harriet Sansom Harris was a delight---the screen lighted up with her. Oh, yeah, I thought Alec Newman did an exceptional job. And then, there was Amy Adams---what do you say other than, "Oh, my aching heart!!" I bought her as an aspiring jazz singer. Not last or least, the great Joey DeFrancesco!!!!

A movie scored by Joey DeFrancesco was a great promise with Cole Porter standards to boot. Unfortunately, Joey turned out to be the best actor in the movie and he is the musician. Poor Amy Adams a jazz singer she is not. She was pitchy and her phrasing was karaoke at best. I can't even address the lead actor... he was simply too painful to watch. Joey and his band are joy to listen to and I felt his lovely score was sorely wasted on this outing. Very strange cinematography, odd and obtrusive lighting, scrappy editing and a script in search of a story. If you took the DeFrancesco digital masters and resell them to a real movie that would be okay with me. Amy Adams who is an otherwise talented actress needs to buy up all the DVD's she can get her hands on and have them shredded. Moonlight Serenade does her career no favors.

As a fan of old movies (primarily 1930's through 1950's), and especially musicals, I can recommend this movie. The music is wonderful, and includes standards by Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Warren and Gordon, and Sammy Fain to name a few. (Hopefully the Soundtrack Listing will be updated soon.) These songs are well executed in a jazzy style, and apparently sung by the actors Amy Adams and Alec Newman. I'm particularly impressed by Amy Adams' voice and style.The plot is no worse than any other musical, and I welcomed the "happy" ending, also no worse than a standard Hollywood musical contrivance. (I guess characterizing the ending as "happy" could be construed as a "spoiler.") I'm glad to see a modern movie that lacks nudity and action (don't remember any foul language either), but embraces music, especially old standards arranged with a modern flair. My rating of 6/10 is based primarily on the music; the production was not luxurious, nor was the plot enthralling. To give you a comparison, I'd rate 'De-Lovely' (2004) as 7 or 7.5 (because of it's EXCELLENT use of Cole Porter's songs), and 'Night and Day' (1946) as a 6 because of its tepid and slow storyline.