Song and Dance Man: A bit of a sad shuffle

Is this thing worth your time?

If you like old-school backstage dramas that don't mind getting their hands dirty, you'll probably get a kick out of this. It’s not flashy, and it definitely won't change your life. But it has a certain rhythm to it that kept me watching.

If you need high-energy tap numbers or a happy ending that feels earned, look elsewhere. This movie is about as optimistic as a rainy Tuesday in a basement bar.

The whole setup feels a little bit like Never Too Old in its insistence on showing us that the spotlight eventually fades. Only here, the fading happens while someone is nursing a lukewarm whiskey.

The Hangovers and the Hustle

Hap is the kind of guy who thinks he’s a genius because he can land a punchline while slurring his words. He’s frustrating. You spend half the movie waiting for him to either clean up or disappear, and the movie knows you’re thinking that.

There’s this one scene where he’s trying to sell a routine that’s clearly past its prime. The way the camera stays on his face—just a little too long—really sells the desperation. It wasn't 'cinematic' in the fancy sense. It was just sad.

And then there’s the dancing. It’s not exactly Broadway caliber. It feels like the kind of act you’d see in a dusty hall where the floorboards creak. I kind of loved that about it. It didn't try to be something it wasn't.

Wait, was that a bit much?

There is this moment with the producer, Alan, that felt a little weird. He’s so smooth it makes your teeth ache, but he also feels like the only person in the room who knows what year it is. It’s a strange dynamic.

• The lighting in the dressing room scenes is genuinely grim.
• Someone should have told the extras in the background to stop looking at the camera.
• The dialogue has this clipped, fast-talking energy that makes you forget how slow the plot actually is.

I caught myself thinking about The Lemon Drop Kid during the gambling sequences. Both films treat the idea of a 'sure thing' with the exact amount of cynicism it deserves. It’s all just numbers in the end, isn't it?

Maybe it’s not a classic. Maybe it’s just a movie about people who are tired of their own mistakes. But it’s honest in a way that surprised me. 🎭