Synopsis
Jesse, a charismatic but down on his luck troubadour, finds himself at an existential crossroads as bad choices catch up with him during an unexpected reunion with Carla, an old flame.
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Cast
- Michael DormanJesse
- Sophia BushCarla
- RZALouis
- Dermot MulroneyRollo
- Eric RobertsSkip
- Brian SaccaOfficer Zach
- Melora WaltersGypsy Sally
- Randal ReederBump
- Zac BadasciPete
- Max ArciniegaMedina
Recommendations
- 80
Los Angeles Times
Hard Luck Love Song is a happy but gritty marriage of material, filmmaker and star. Much is asked of Dorman, and he delivers all. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
Michael Dorman (virtually unrecognizable and about 40 pounds lighter than when he played Gordo Stevens in the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind) channels James-Dean-meets-Stephen-Dorff in a mesmerizingly good performance as Jesse, a charming bounder who has a good heart and some talent as a singer-songwriter but is always getting in his own way and stepping in some serious, um, stuff. - 75
IndieWire
Justin Corsbie’s debut would buy you a drink if you couldn’t afford one, hustle you for a hundred bucks in the backroom if you could, and leave you with a big hug on the way out either way just cause it was so grateful not to spend the night alone. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
That the film proves engrossing throughout is due largely to Michael Dorman (For All Mankind), in the central role of Jesse. - 50
The New York Times
Corsbie has filmmaking energy to spare but also makes many undergrad errors. - 50
Austin Chronicle
Based on the folky country song “Just Like Old Times” by Todd Snider, the film feels like a throwback to the heyday of Austin: eclectic acoustic guitars, dingy pool halls, dive bars with fountains of whiskey, neon signs, and lots and lot of late-night tacos. - 42
The Playlist
There’s a wealth of talent involved in this film, not the least of which is Snider himself. Unfortunately, Hard Luck Love Song doesn’t capture the essence of the musical source material, though one could argue there isn’t much emotional heft in the song to begin with. - 30
Variety
Instead of persuasive verisimilitude and compelling character development, we get scene after scene of Jesse waiting for something, anything.
