Austin’s South by Southwest Film & TV Festival certainly has a specific kind of electricity. The city buzzes with the excitement of new art from all over the world. This year, that hum turned into a roaring melody at the North American premiere of Power Ballad. Co-written and directed by John Carney, the film brings together the comedic brilliance of Paul Rudd and the dramatic depth of Dallas-born musician Nick Jonas.
Carney has a rare gift for weaving deeply human stories through the art of making music. He did it with Once, and Sing Street, and he does it again here. Standing on the Paramount Theatre stage before the screening, the Irish filmmaker confessed a deep connection to the Lone Star State. He explained that Texas filmmaker Richard Linklater is a massive influence on his work, believing Linklater gave him “permission to make films.” Carney admits that watching Before Sunset when his own career was struggling made him believe he “could do it again.”
That exact spirit of finding your footing rests at the core of Power Ballad…