The Jazz Singer (1980)

Very well executed

That was an excellent one.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

As a movie, "The Jazz Singer" is not terribly good. However, Neil Diamond's music make it worth at least a look. Particularly relevant in these times is his hit "(Coming To) America, an anthem extolling immigration and the contribution of immigrants to American culture. The acting, however, is another story. This was one of Laurence Olivier's "made it for the money" flicks and Lucie Arnaz was tragically miscast. As an actor, Diamond is a great singer. I don't know what spoilers I'm adding here but I figure it's better to err on the side of caution.

A Jewish cantor follows his dreams against his families wishes.Starring Neil Diamond and Laurence Olivier.Written by Samson Raphaelson (Play), Herbert Baker (Screenplay) and Stephen H Foreman (Adaptation).Directed by Richard Fleischer. I can't belief how lowly rated this is on IMDb,I love this film!Okay so it's as cheesy as a packet of Wotsits and there are a few movie clichés here and there but I enjoyed every second of this. I love the story. I love the acting. I loved all the cheesy romantic stuff.There's nothing not to like about The Jazz Singer. It's just good solid escapism. I'm also guessing that it was quite controversial in it's day.Did I tell you that I love this film? Now I need to go on Spotify to listen to more Neil Diamond!10/10

I have never seen the classic film "The Jazz Singer" from 1927 (or for that matter the fifties remake) so cannot say how this version compares to it. It tells the story of Yussel Rabinovitch, a Cantor at a New York Orthodox Jewish synagogue, who finds success as a singer, but only at the cost of estrangement from his traditionalist father (also a Cantor) and his equally traditionalist wife. It keeps the same title as the original, but in this version Yussel is a pop star, not a jazz singer. Yussel uses the stage name "Jess Robin", but to avoid confusion I will refer to him by his original name throughout. I must admit that I did not really have any high hopes for the film when I recently saw it for the first time. I was aware that it had been a critical flop when first released in 1980 and that Neil Diamond (as Yussel) and Laurence Olivier (as his father) were the first two winners of the "Worst Actor" and "Worst Supporting Actor" Razzies. I had even heard it described as a classic of badness. So is it as bad as its reputation in some quarters might have you believe? Well, insofar as the acting is concerned, it is not very good. You can see why Neil Diamond has concentrated on his singing career rather than on acting. He tries hard, but it is clear he is no Laurence Olivier. (To be fair, however, I should point out that my view was not shared by everyone. Diamond was actually nominated for a "Best Actor - Musical/Comedy" at the Golden Globes). As for Laurence Olivier, well, in this film he is no Laurence Olivier either. Towards the end of his life, in the seventies and eighties, Olivier occasionally ended up in films that were not worthy of his status and talents, although I have noticed that even in earlier in his career he was not always at his best playing characters who were not British, or at least Anglo-Saxon. In films like "The Prince and the Showgirl" or "Khartoum" he tended to fall back on stereotype, even caricature, to portray foreigners, and does the same here, making the elder Cantor Rabinovitch a neurotic Yiddisher Poppa with an exaggerated stage accent. (Cantor Rabinovitch's country of origin is never specified, but he is obviously an immigrant to America from somewhere in Europe). The female members of the cast are no better; Catlin Adams as Yussel's selfish, controlling wife Rivka is a one-dimensional figure and Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of two famous parents, is just bland as Molly, the girl with whom Yussel falls in love after his divorce from Rivka. In some respects there is plenty of material for a good film here. At the heart of the story is the clash between the classic "Old World" values of Yussel's father, faith, family, community and tradition, and the "New World" values of Yussel himself, freedom and self-fulfilment. Unfortunately the dramatic potential of this clash is negated by the fact that the representatives of the "Old World" values, old Cantor Rabinovitch and Rivka, are so unsympathetic. Rivka is totally unable to appreciate or sympathise with her husband's talent or ambitions; the old man is seen at his worst, and comes uncomfortably close to bigotry, in the scene where he ritually tears his clothes to indicate that his son is "dead to him". (What has really upset him is Yussel's love for the Gentile Molly). Director Richard Fleischer could turn his hand to virtually any genre, and had earlier been responsible for some good films ("20,000 Leagues under the Sea", "The Vikings"), and at least one excellent one ("Ten Rillington Place"). His creative powers, however, seemed to go into a decline towards the end of his career in the eighties. (A similar phenomenon afflicted some of his contemporaries; Stanley Donen and J. Lee Thompson are two others who come to mind. "The Jazz Singer" is by no means his worst film- that must be the dreadful "Red Sonja"- but it is a long way below the standard of his best work. It would, however, be unfair to blame him too much; he was only drafted in to direct at the last minute after the original director, Sidney J. Furie, was sacked from the production. The music featured here was a success, and the soundtrack album became one of Diamond's biggest-sellers. It actually made more money than the film itself and provided him with three hit songs, "America", "Love on the Rocks" and "Hello Again". Anyone who likes Diamond's music, as I do, will enjoy this aspect of the film. Good music, however, is not generally enough to make a good film. A successful musical needs to be more than a succession of great songs; it also needs good acting, a good story and good direction as much as any other successful film, and in all these aspects "The Jazz Singer" does not have much to offer. 5/10 (4/10 for the film itself, with a bonus point for the music).

The Jazz Singer with Neil Diamond is one of my favorite movies. How can anyone say he can't act? Every time I suggest to my husband that we watch it, he usually doesn't want to because he reckons it is one of the saddest movies of all time. I keep saying "They are only acting and it does work out in the end after all" but I still have trouble getting him to watch it and I usually have to agree to watch 'Going my Way" first!!!! Neil Diamond in concert is fabulous. Neil Diamond acting is nearly as good. I also can't understand why Lucy Arnez didn't make it as an actress, having famous parents must be a disadvantage in some cases.