Duets
(Universal)
By Sheila Price
It's been a long time since a movie came out on top with its superb singing. Yes, singing! The last one that comes to mind was"The Commitments,"about the makings of an Irish soul band. (Quick! Go rent the video!) The awesome singing provided by its actors drew my attention to"Duets"(about karaoke hustlers). Each song was vibrantly brought to life by the performers, all of whom, aside from Andre Braugher (the escaped convict), used their real singing voices. The critics may have chosen to bury the movie (c'mon! I've seen worse), but they can't fault its soundtrack. It's the best I've heard so far. A surprising revelation is Gwyneth Paltrow, who turned out to be quite a spunky songbird. Is there anything this Academy-Award-winning actress cannot do? Her rendition of singer Kim Carnes'"Bette Davis Eyes"is both sultry and smooth. Give her a decent band (not some karaoke machine) and she can work wonders. For an inexperienced singer, Gwyneth's distinctive vocals are a steal, whether she's going solo or harmonizing with Huey Lewis in the Smokey Robinson track,"Cruisin"(a hit on the American airwaves), and dewy-like with Babyface in"Just My Imagination."Gwyneth would give some of today's pop singers a run for their money.Maria Bello (the tough hooker) shows off her vivacity with a melancholic number"I Can't Make You Love Me,"and the Eurythmics's thumping"Sweet Dreams."While Paul Giamatti (the disillusioned sales chap) delivers a cool"Hello, It's Me,"and the emphatic"Try A Little Tenderness"with Arnold McCuller. Last and certainly not the least -- Huey Lewis minus The News (the quintessential American rock 'n' roll band for 18 years) shows no signs of slowing down here with his charismatic and evergreen vocals in"Feeling Alright"and"Lonely Teardrops."Sure, remakes never sound as good as the originals, but you may change that view and find these Motown classics just as good.
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