Reel Critics: Devil music without the edge

The lyrics of Don McLean’s “American Pie” ask, “Do you believe in rock and roll? Can music save your mortal soul?”

The faith-based producers of “The Identical” try to answer that question in the schmaltzy affirmative. The screenplay cooks up a main course of pop culture with a big side dish of sappy family values.

The story features an Elvis-like character who achieves superstar status in the 1950s. He was unknowingly separated at birth from his identical twin. The missing brother gets raised by a fundamentalist preacher and his wife. Blake Rayne, who is an Elvis impersonator in real life, plays both roles with the right voice inflection and swivel hip moves.

Fortunately, some real actors fill out the cast. Ray Liotta plays the preacher trying to keep his star-struck stepson from taking up devil music. Ashley Judd as the preacher’s wife brings a gentler hand to the raising of the boy.

The production values capture the period well. But reconciling Christian principles with popular music seems to be the real purpose of the plot. Along the way, the predictable, corny and oh-so-fluffy story just blows away in the cinematic breeze.

—John Depko

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‘Robin Hood’ not a merry tale

In “The Last Days of Robin Hood,” a charming Kevin Kline is perfectly cast as legendary movie star Errol Flynn.

Flynn, famous for playing romantic heroes and swashbucklers in the ‘30s and ‘40s, was a notorious womanizer whose hard partying led to his death in 1959 at age 50.

Upon his death, scandal broke that Flynn’s lover-companion, Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning), was only 17. Even in those days, the tabloids were brutal.

Beverly’s mother, Florence (Susan Sarandon), is approached for a book deal to tell the “truth” about her daughter’s relationship. As told through flashbacks, we see — but don’t understand — how Flynn’s immediate infatuation with Beverly turned to deeper feelings, and how both mother and daughter let the man’s charm and money win them over.

This potentially juicy story has been made lackluster by a timid script. Fanning is like a deer caught in the headlights and fails to convince us she’s passionate about her man or her career.

Kline’s natural charm and grace serve him well in playing the fading movie star; if only his role was written with more focus on his wicked ways.

“Last Days” is mostly about Mama Florence and how the frustrated stage mother turned a blind eye, and even encouraged, her daughter’s liaison. As played by Sarandon, Flo worked her connection to Hollywood as if she herself had been Flynn’s paramour. It’s a terrific performance in an otherwise sad little movie.

—Susanne Perez

JOHN DEPKO is a retired senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. He lives in Costa Mesa and works as a licensed private investigator. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a company in Irvine.