This is an updated version of the old Al Jolson film by the same name. In this version, a young potential pop star (Neil Diamond) strikes out on his own, turning his back on his father (Sir Lawrence Olivier), his religion (Judaism) and his supposed profession (Cantor) to seek his fame and fortune. The story is OK, a bit lame, but OK still. There is some fantastic music in this film, with (who else?) Neil Diamond singing "Love on the Rocks" and "America". Diamond is not a great actor, for certain, but he actually held his own. The performance by Olivier was also a little bit weak. Lucy Arnaz also stars in the show and I believe her acting was the best of all. There is one scene in the film in the Temple. A Cantor is singing (quite badly) and all of a sudden, Diamond takes over. The abrupt change actually brought goose bumps to my skin! Other than that, the film is merely pretty entertaining. I won't say this is a great film, but I think it's worth a look if the video store doesn't have the one you REALLY went in there for.
Review of The Jazz Singer
