Eurovision Song Contest (2020) Movie Review
From David Dobkin, the director who brought you Wedding Crashers, comes one of the most ridiculous movies you will see this year. Eurovision stars Will Ferrell so right away you know what kind of movie you’re in for. I highly recommend not being sober while watching this movie. I will say for a Will Ferrell movie, Eurovision actually had a plot and some semblance of a meaningful story.
Lars (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) are best friends who sing in a band together. It has always been Lars’ dream to represent his country, Iceland, at the annual Eurovision Song Contest. If you are an ignorant American (like me) you might not know that the Eurovision Song Contest is in fact a real contest organized by the European Broadcasting Union. This contest has been held every year since 1956 and each participating country submits one original song for consideration. It actually sounds kind of fun and I want to watch it this year just to see how ridiculous it is.
Anyways, Lars and Sigrit are outcasts in their tiny town. No one likes their original songs, instead pleading with them to sing “Jaja Ding Dong” on repeat. Lars has a dream and he won’t let anyone stand in his way. His dad Erick (Pierce Brosnan) doesn’t understand him and they have a prickly relationship. Seeing Brosnan adopt a phony Icelandic accent and play opposite Ferrell was really just too much for me. In a twist of fate, Lars and Sigrit wind up at the Eurovision Song Contest and hit some snags as Lars tries too hard to fit in and be flashy. Will they win the Eurovision Song Contest? You won’t exactly be on the edge of your seat to find out. But you will be laughing occasionally throughout this zany two hour flick.
Once at Eurovision, Sigrit becomes friends with Russian star Alexander (Dan Stevens) who has a hilarious song entitled “Lion of Love.” He is in the movie quite a bit, but the majority of the movie is carried by Ferrell and McAdams. Ferrell is reliable in these kinds of roles. He doesn’t do anything new here but he tones it down enough that it is watchable. McAdams has shown before that she has some comedic skills (if you haven’t seen her in Game Night I highly recommend watching it) and I was so happy to see her take on another straight comedy. She shines as Sigrit, who is funny but also sweet and very in love with Lars. There is a great bit with some Icelandic “elves” and she leaves gifts for them to win their favor. McAdams holds her own on screen with Ferrell and although she doesn’t sing all of the songs, she does an admirable job lip syncing.
The end song, “Husavik,” was nominated for an Oscar and it is a really beautiful song. Trust me you will be surprised by how good it is. Actually a lot of the songs are pretty catchy, even the ridiculous ones like “Double Trouble.” I went back after the movie and listened to the soundtrack because I had a few of the songs stuck in my head. You know with a Will Ferrell movie that it’s going to be ridiculous and Eurovision Song Contest most certainly is. But it also has some sweet moments (mostly thanks to McAdams) and an interesting enough story line to keep you engaged. If you’re looking for a ridiculous movie that’s a lot of fun, Eurovision Song Contest is the movie for you. It’s exactly the kind of silly movie that we all needed during the last year of COVID blues.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like Will Ferrell’s brand of comedy
2. You are a fan of Eurovision
3. You want to watch a silly, light-hearted movie
