Better title: ‘Country Weak’

I guess I haven’t yet blogged about seeing “Country Strong.” My reaction: What a load of horsehockey.

With Gwyneth Paltrow in the lead, I thought the film would be at least listenable. She has a decent voice. And because the camera loves her, I had every reason to believe that the film would be watchable.

No such luck. The story is totally cliche (booze-addicted songstress tries a comeback), the characters are only slightly better (the young, hunky singer who lusts after the veteran singer; the young, perky singer who communicates in beauty-queen speak; the manager-husband who can’t forgive wifey for having lost their baby), and the direction wouldn’t rate a C-minus in any Filmmaking 101 course (bad continuity, little sense of authenticity, characters so unlikeable it’s hard to wonder why anyone would want to spend two hours with them).

And the music? Well, even if you were into modern country, you might find these songs a little Lite. Even Miley Cyrus might turn them down.

The worst part is that this is a genre that has produced some pretty good movies. “Tender Mercies,” “Crazy Heart,” Coalminer’s Daughter” and “Nashville,” all make “Country Strong” look like what it is: a crappy film that tries to cash in on the recent rise in C&W popularity.

It’s an insult to the memory of Patsy Cline that her name is even mentioned.

Below : The trailer for “Country Strong.”