Raise Your Voice

Review by Clint Morris

Okay so sometimes the sweet tub of noodles is a refreshing change, but at the end of the day, it's the spicy ones you get the most value-for-money from. And that same analogy could be applied to Raise your Voice.

Hilary Duff looks sweet, acts sweet, heck; sings sweet - but the spice is perceptibly omitted.

As wholesome as Cherry Pie and as innocent as its headline act, Voice is essentially a vehicle to showcase young blonde moppet Hilary's singing voice.

It's the first time the young star - who cut her teeth on TV, before moving on to films like Agent Cody Banks and Cheaper by the Dozen - has been handed a microphone and asked to spit out pop-melodies.

And you know what? It works. In the sense that she does seem to be able to act and sing that is. As for the vehicle, well, it's got a couple of wonky tyres...

Squeaky clean Terri Fletcher (Duff) has a good set of lungs on her. She's got big dreams to go to a an influential performing arts academy in L.A. Unfortunately, her caring but slightly haughty father (the always underrated David Keith) doesn't want to hear about it. She isn't going anywhere.

Just before he dies in a car accident, Terri's benevolent, always heartening brother (Jason Ritter) sends a videotape of his little singing sis' to the school. They love it - she gets in. Long story short: She does a sneaky behind Pop's back and leaves for sunny la la land.

Upon arrival, Teri befriends the local geek, falls for an English student, and discovers a mentor in a thirty-something teacher (John Corbett). Cue the uplifting end-credit song…

She's as adorable as hell, but Hilary Duff's yet to prove to anyone she's much more than ambition. She can seemingly sing (we've heard her track played on the radio), adequately act… but what she hasn't got is a carrier for this talent.

Whilst fellow actress/singer Mandy Moore has slotted herself into fitting features, Duff seems content to skip into anything that's on offer. Granted, you can see why she wanted to do Raise your Voice - it not only lets her sing, but it's all about 'her' - yet her reps might've been better advised to tell her to hold out for something a little more beefy.

One for the under sixteen brigade only.

2 out of 5

Raise Your Voice
Australian release: Saturday January 1st
Cast: Hilary Duff, Oliver James, John Corbett, Rebecca De Mornay, David Keith, James Avery, Rita Wilson.
Director: Sean McNamara.
Website: Click here.

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