12 October 2010. Before there was a television musical series Glee (2009) and two years after the blockbuster of Moulin Rouge (2001) that made the musical genre comeback and a year after that the Oscar Best Picture Chicago came out, the obscure English movie I'll Be There was released directed and written by Craig Ferguson who would become a major television network late-night talk show host on CBS. This family, drama, musical was a unique fusion of genres that took itself seriously. Mr. Ferguson's performance in contrast to his talk show host persona was not in evidence two years earlier and is a testament to his acting ability to portray a different character without the character types that often slip into an actor's roles on screen.

What makes this movie stand out is its integrity and commitment to developing its characters and storyline with more passion and depth, creating a substantive and compelling movie that sustains a level of interpersonal complexity and tension that is usually reserved for quality movies and avoided by low-budget, knock offs. While perhaps the storyline isn't very original, the script does an amazing job of fleshing out both the drama as well as the humor/comedy that never reaches the slapstick, dumb-downed comedy of mindless stand up comedy. The musical renditions are powerful and the beginning split between two musical scenes is an amazing and captivating opening and quickly captures the audiences attention with emotion.

If one attends to this movie carefully, Ferguson has crafted this movie with excellent editing, unique use of split screen and the interweaving of music with the storyline. The cinematography is actually some of the most well designed and the camera work nicely composed. It's really an amazing piece of work that balances wit, drama, and family entertainment.

In a number of ways, this is a family version of Moulin Rouge for young adults and it contains relevant themes for today's contemporary society that both can resonate for juveniles and parents alike.

This film, chiefly a vehicle conceived to highlight Charlotte Church at a time when she was about to relinquish classical music to jump on the bandwagon of pop (maybe wrongly) didn't last long at its opening in English theaters. It didn't reach the streets in France for the simple reason that if Church is celebrated abroad for having a sublime voice and sang for a good number of most momentous people around the globe, she isn't a household name in my native country. This film was broadcast a few weeks ago on French TV and it was so hurriedly, badly dubbed that it brought a sensation of false, phony. It wasn't much of a problem given the weak contents and substance of Craig Ferguson's film.

The fleeting life of the film in the English theaters is hardly surprising. This reheated menu is certainly partly derived from Church's several installments in her life. The quality of her acting leaves a lot to be desired. It's true that it would take impervious ears to resist her voice and singing but it's impossible to be moved by her rather wooden acting. And she's not served by a story with little depth and is sedately scheduled in its evolution and its recesses. Just think about the staple ingredients used by Ferguson: take a has-been rock musician in limbo, make him discover that he's got a cute daughter, the result of a relationship which lasted one week-end. And this daughter has a wondrous voice, so she could take her chance in music but her mother is not ready to accept this because the clichés of rock n'roll remain stuck on her mind. I won't tell the rest but the different steps of the scenario interlock as planned to give a run-on-the-mill film. Actors act cardboard characters and the supposedly would-be droll moments fall flat (sorry Mr. Ferguson, but you didn't manage to make me smile during your antics at the psychiatric hospital). And there's a bad taste editing opening the film announcing the fiasco of this well-worn tale.

Some users on this site talked about the "feel-good" vibe which shrouds the film. I wasn't taken with it at all so this vibe wasn't palpable at all to me.

"I'll Be There" tells of a singing Brit teen with a paper route and a pink scooter who lives with her mum and learns the father she never knew is a wacky rock star (Ferguson) who lives nearby. On the downside, this obvious, contrived, and predictable string of feel good moments, sitcom, and song stumbles over a lackluster debut by chipmunk-cheeked Church and its own unabashed hokiness. On the upside it delivers some of Church's amazing warbling, some foot stompin' boogie-woogie, and an ample helping of sentimental fun stuff while never taking itself too seriously. With mixed reviews and mediocre marks from the public, "I'll Be There" makes for a fun watch if expectations are kept real. If in doubt, wait for broadcast where it's sure to appear soon. (C+)