THE JAZZ SINGER is a straight-up remake of the 1927 Al Jolson musical in which a Jewish man pursues his dream of becoming a pop singer. How much you enjoy it depends really on your appreciation of Neil Diamond, as he dominates the proceedings here. The rest of the cast, including Laurence Olivier, don't get much of a look in, although Olivier makes sure he gets the opportunity to chew the scenery on the few instances he does appear. There's little plotting to boot; instead this feels like a rags-to-riches slice-of-life tale inspired by the feel of the likes of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. Diamond's acting skills are limited to say the least, but he does belt out a number of decent tunes, so as an easy-listening piece this works pretty well.
Review of The Jazz Singer
